Better off as we Are
by Shugs
Summary: Helping Jody deal with a Djin takes an unexpected turn when the creature they encounter, puts Sam in the hospital and leaves Dean in the hands of another hunter working an eerily similar case. Set mid-season 10 – After Book of the Damned
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Dude, you're kidding right?" Sam asked, his eyes darting from the rundown factory in front of him to the man sitting behind the wheel of the car beside him. "That place is huge; we're never going to find it."

Dean put the shifter in park and pulled the keys from the ignition. "It's a friggen Djinn, Sam. It can't vanish into thin air and it can't go through walls. We've dealt with these things before, there's only so many places it can hide. Besides, Jody's been trailing it for days and she's almost positive that it's in there."

"Almost positive?" Sam replied under his breath as he pulled his flashlight from the glove box. "Well that's reassuring. It's not like we have bigger things to deal with right now..."

"Dude, what the Hell's your problem?" Dean snapped as he looked over to catch his brother's eyes. "You've been bitching about everything lately, you want to do this or not?" There was a moment of silence and as Sam's eyes narrowed, Dean quickly realized that he'd just backed himself into a corner. "You know what? Forget I even asked." He growled as he stepped out of the car and slammed his door shut. He pulled his jacket shut against the bitter wind as he made his way to the trunk to get what they would need for the hunt. As Sam stepped out of the car to join him, he couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. The discussion they were about to have was the same they'd been having for the past couple of weeks now. It just didn't seem to end.

"You want to know what my problem is?" Sam started as he made his way around to the back of the Impala. His brother may have been doing what he could to avoid the confrontation, but he was the one who asked for it this time. It had been one hunt after the other lately and Sam couldn't help but feel as if his brother's attempt to deal with his current situation was costing them time he wasn't sure Dean had. "We are wasting our time with hunts like this." Sam hissed, his voice drifting eerily into the cold dark night.

"Forget I asked." Dean repeated without looking up as he grabbed the jar of Lamb's blood from the array of weapons in the Impala's trunk.

"We should be trying to find a way to get the damn mark of Cain off your arm, before whatever damage it does to you is irreversible. We're not getting anywhere by chasing some..."

"Sammy I'm not going to have this conversation with you again." Dean cut in, his tone of voice instantly silencing the other man. He paused from his task and straightened out as he turned to catch his brother's eyes. "Until we find a way to get this thing off my arm, I'm going to hunt and kill whatever evil I find along the way. In this case, a Djinn Jody's been keeping tabs on." He paused for only moment before turning his attention back to the jar of Lamb's blood.

"Are you hunting because you want to, or because you have to?" Sam asked, pausing for only a moment as Dean straightened out again and turned to face him. "That thing's got a hold on you, more than I think you realize." He continued, watching as the other man's eyes narrowed. "It's a bloodlust I haven't seen in you before and it's really starting to worry me, me and Cas." Sam admitted. "That thing made a demon out of you the last time you..."

"I don't want to fight about this with you every time we go out on a hunt." Dean growled, turning his attention back to what he'd been doing. "Hunting is what I do and what I'm good at." He continued, ignoring the look of concern on his brother's face as he dipped a silver blade in the Lamb's blood. "We'll find a way to deal with the damn mark but I'm so sick of the research and dead ends right now, I just want to get back out there and do what I do." He said as he extended the blade towards his brother. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried. The mark of Cain had left him with a darkness unlike anything he'd ever felt before; an evil deep down inside his soul just begging to be fed. He knew his lust for bloodshed would only grow stronger over time, but as long as he could fight off the dark effects of the mark, he would keep doing his job.

Their eyes met for only a moment and though it was obvious Dean was done with the subject, Sam was far from willing to just let it go. If it was up to him, hunting would have taken a back seat to getting rid of the mark, but it wasn't his call. It never was. Knowing that arguing about it wouldn't change a thing, he reluctantly pushed the subject aside for now and took the prepared blade from Dean's hands. "So a Djinn, huh?" He asked, his eyes drifting over to the old factory in front of them. Though the place was obviously abandoned, it hadn't fallen into disrepair like most of the buildings they'd often come across while hunting. The bottom windows were boarded up and some of the top ones had been smashed, but overall the massive factory didn't look like it had been sitting dormant for years. It was secluded but not too far from town, and more than big enough for a Djinn to seek refuge without being spotted. "First time you had a face to face with one of those, the son of a bitch sent you for a ride."

"Yeah well you live and you learn." Dean casually replied, the smile creeping back up from the corner of his lips as he grabbed his flashlight and shut the trunk. "That's why I brought you, besides we've learned a thing or two since then." They were just on the outskirts of Scythe but with the small town's lights barely visible in the distance, they may very well have been out in the middle of nowhere. As the pair made their way towards the old factory in front of them, flashlights in one hand and blades in the other, Dean couldn't help but notice the large chain piled on the ground next to the graffiti covered door. "Looks like someone's been in here." He said as he pushed the steel door open, cringing as the sound of it creaking echoed into the night.

"Probably kids." Sam remarked, using his flashlight to take a better look at some of the graffiti on the wall.

"Probably." Dean replied as he kicked a broken beer bottle aside. "Speaking of kids, Jody said there's been a dozen or so people who've gone missing in and around Scythe. Some were found dead but half are still missing, she's pretty convinced that this thing's been squatting out here for the past few weeks." He took a quick glance over his shoulder at the Impala in the deserted lot behind them before turning his attention back to the open door. "Let's go pay this son of a bitch a visit." He whispered as he took his first step inside.

Debris & garbage littered the floor and rows of old stacked crates and pallets stretched the length of the room in front of them. From the large second story windows that lined the upper walls on both sides, slivers of moonlight pierced the darkness to shed light into the old factory. A steel grate staircases leading up to a platform overhead could be seen off to their left, while various machinery and equipment stood idle to the right. The broken glass of discarded bottles crunching and snapping under their feet as they walked was the only sound that could be heard as it bounced off the walls around them. Canvassing the factory floor row by row, the pair started to make their way down the length of the building, their eyes scanning the darkness of every corner for any movement at all. Djinn were fast, and if they were to get the best of this one, they'd have to practically catch it by surprise.

When a noise behind them made Dean turn on the spot, Sam paused in his steps, his eyes glued to the man in front of him as he watched Dean's gaze drift up to the platform. Dean never had to say much to get his message across, a look or a few gestures was often enough. So when he pointed the blade in his hand towards the steel grate staircase, Sam knew what the next move would be. Like a team of well trained soldiers, they made their way back towards the stairs and crept up to the platform overhead.

As they reached the top, both took a moment to study their new surroundings. What had once been office space for Foremen and Supervisors was now a wasteland of broken glass, overturned desks and dust covered filing cabinets. Dean pointed his younger brother to the right as he headed towards the left. Stepping over the discarded office furniture strewn around him, he quickly made his way to the first of three small rooms in front of them. Kneeling down in the open door for a moment, he used his flashlight to look for any sign of footprints in the thick lair of dust, before focusing his attention on the small room. Though he could tell someone had been there, the tracks weren't recent enough to warrant further searching of the room. He let out a sigh as he got to his feet, pausing for a moment as the sound of shuffling in the second room nearby caught in his attention. His eyes instantly darted towards the room at the very end of the platform just in time to catch a glimpse of Sam's flashlight bounce off one of the broken windows in the open door.

His heart started to race as his grip on the blade tightened, the shuffling noise he'd just heard hadn't been his brother. He wasted no time making his way over to the nearby room, careful not to make a sound as he approached the open door. If the Djinn was in fact in that small office room then it was trapped and this was his chance. He took a deep breath as he stepped into the doorway, quickly scanning the office with his flashlight for any sign of the creature he was hunting. He couldn't see it, but he knew it was in there. "Where are you, you son of a bitch." He whispered under his breath as he took a step inside, his eyes glued to an overturned desk in the corner of the room, the only thing big enough for a Djin to be hiding behind. He was so focused on where he thought the thing was, he didn't realize he'd been lured into a trap until the door behind him slammed shut. He swore under his breath as he turned on the spot, catching only a glimpse of the Djin's glowing eyes before taking a solid kick to the stomach. The flashlight dropped from his hands as he stumbled back and tripped over a chair, sending him to the dust covered floor with a thud.

The sound of the door slamming shut and the clatter that followed sent Sam's heart to his throat. "Dean?!" He called out, stepping out of the small room he'd been exploring and hurrying to make his way back towards where they'd split up only moments ago. The sound of a scuffle echoed eerily in the darkened factory, every thump and crash sending chills down his spine as he traced the noise to its source. He came to a stop at the closed door, his eyes instantly drawn to the only source of light in the dark room, his older brother's flashlight rolling back and forth on the dust covered floor. "DEAN!" He called out again, swearing under his breath as he realized the door was locked.

Inside the small room, Dean was back on his feet in an instant, clutching the blood drenched knife in his tight grip and taking a swing at the Djin that'd attacked him. He got one good slash in before taking a punch to the face and another to the gut, the blow forcing him back against a filing cabinet.

Sam threw his shoulder against the door as he watched his brother take yet another swing at the creature. Thought it looked like Dean had managed to land another blow, it didn't seem like enough to even slow the Djin down.

It was one punch after another and when the blade fell from his grip, Dean knew he was in trouble. As his hands scoured the debris on the floor in a desperate attempt to find his silver blade, a kick to the ribs rolled him onto his back and left him struggling to breath. He was already gasping for breath when he felt a cold hand wrap around his throat and another press down on his chest. The Djin pulled away from him when the deafening sound of gunfire and shattering glass tore through the building. The moment it released its grip, Dean forced himself onto his stomach, his lungs now burning every time he inhaled the stale dusty air. His body was already aching from the fight, every move he made was painful but as he watched the Djin make its way towards Sam, he knew this wasn't over. His hands searched the darkness for his fallen blade as Sam fired another round of shots through the broken window, a well needed distraction to keep the creature's focus as Dean gathered himself for another round. By the time he felt the blade's cold handle within his grasp, the Djin was out the door and on the platform now fighting with Sam. He swore under his breath as he picked himself up off the floor and stumbled over discarded office furniture to make his way towards the pair. Sam was now pinned against the wall, the moonlight coming in through one of the large windows nearby giving Dean only a faint glimpse of what was going on. His grip tightened as he closed in on his target and raised his arm up with every intention of plunging that sharp blade into the Djin's back, but he was caught off guard when a hand suddenly clamped down around his wrist from behind.

Another Djin that seemed to have come out of nowhere reached into the back of his waistband and pulled out his gun as it spun him around. It then kicked him away and took aim before Dean even had time to react, let alone catch his balance. Everything else happened so fast he barely had time to take it all in. Shots rang out, the blade dropped from his hand and the metal railing bordering the platform caught him behind the knees. Momentum sent him over the edge and before the echo of the gunshots could fade, the sound of shattering glass filled the air. Though the free fall to the darkened factory floor below lasted no more than a second, every worse-case scenario imaginable flashed in the back of his mind before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

****Chapter 2****

The first thing Sam noticed when he opened his eyes, was the bright florescent lights. He was lying in a hospital bed with no idea how he'd gotten there, the last thing he remembered was fighting with a Djin before having his back pushed up against an old, cracked window and the glass giving way under his weight as the creature shoved him through it. He could feel his heart beat in the back of his head, the harsh lights only adding to his growing headache. He sucked in a breath and let out a groan as he felt pain spread from his right shoulder down his back. Sam made the attempt to sit up but quickly sunk back down into his bed, swearing under his breath as he did so.

"Take it easy there." Jody whispered, getting up from her seat to make her way to his bedside. When Sam looked over to catch her eyes she offered a smile and let out a sigh of relief. "You had me worried, you've been out for hours."

"Dean, where's Dean?"He asked, trying to remember every detail of the hunt that had gone wrong so fast. The last he'd seen of his brother, the other man was pinned to the floor of a locked room by a Djin. He'd used his gun to shoot out the glass in the door and that's when the creature set its sights on him. Next thing he knew it had a hand around his throat and his vision blurred as he struggled to breath.

Jody shook her head. "I don't know."She quietly replied, her gaze momentarily drifting up to the open door. "Police searched the place when the call about you came in, didn't find anything suspicious at first so I sent Castiel over to take a better look." She paused as she took a seat on the edge of his bed. "Sam what happened out there? A couple of teens looking for a quiet place to park called 911 when they found you lying unconscious in a pile of trash, cops said you went through a second story window."

The moment he went through the window flashed in the back of his head like a scene from a movie. He could feel the creature's cold hand wrap around his throat all over again. "Dean got attacked by the Djin, when I tried getting to him it turned on me." He paused for a moment as he quickly analyzed every detail he could remember. "It overpowered me but it's almost like I'm not the one it wanted... it only came after me because I was trying to get it away from Dean."

Jody raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a pro on all this monster hunting stuff, but I thought these things took whatever they could get their hands on."

"They usually do." Sam quietly replied, swallowing the lump that was growing in his throat. "But if this Djin had wanted me, it wouldn't have pushed me out a damn window." **  
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Dean let out a groan as he took a deep breath and felt his chest tighten almost instantly. He swallowed hard, the taste of blood in his mouth just another reminder of the beating he'd taken before being shot, then kicked off the platform. His mind was racing, instinct screaming at him to get back up, but his body protested even the slightest movement at all. His left arm wrapped around his sore ribs as he tried to turn onto his side, but the handcuff around his right wrist prevented him from rolling any further.

"The hell?" He muttered, his eyes focusing on the handcuff as it clinked against the metal rail of the bed he was laying on. His head was pounding and each breath pulled at his battered body, it took almost everything he had just to sit up but he forced himself to do so. Something was wrong. He wasn't at the old factory anymore, instead he found himself chained to a bed in a small cell of some kind. "Sammy?" He called out, his eyes scanning the basement room on the other side of the iron bars for any sign of his brother. "Sammy?" He repeated, squinting as pain spread from his ribs. With no reply, his mind once again started to race, what had happened wasn't quite clear but one thing he remembered without a doubt was seeing his little brother struggling with the creature they were hunting, right before he was sent over the edge of the platform. His eyes closed for a moment as the sound of gunshots followed by breaking glass echoed in his head.

Pushing the fear and panic aside, he attempted to make sense of the situation he was currently in. He was handcuffed to the old bed he was sitting on, his jacket was hanging on the wall just on the other side of the cell he was in. He could see a cluttered desk and an old filing cabinet off to one corner and cases of beer stacked in another. Shelving and cabinets lined one wall and through a small window he could just make out what he assumed was a dirt parking lot. The muffled sound of base resonated from the ceiling above him and the constant drip of a tap he couldn't see echoed in the open room. There was nothing familiar about the place, no hint as to where he was or why. He knew he'd either bruised or cracked a rib, and he could feel the split in his lip, but adrenaline could mask even the worse injuries and he wasn't sure just what shape he was in. The fall he'd taken could have easily resulted in more than a few bruised or cracked ribs, but nothing else seemed broken or dislocated. His arms were scratched but the minor wounds had been cleaned and a bandage had been wrapped around his right forearm. Noticing the blood stain on his shirt, he carefully pulled the bottom of it up to have a look at where he was sure he'd been shot. Though blood had seeped through the bandage that covered the bullet wound, it was now dry to the touch. When the sound of a door opening caught his attention and Dean couldn't help but take one last glance at the tiny room around him for anything he could use as a weapon or lock pick. With nothing of use within his reach, all he could do was sit there and watch as a man made his way down the stairs. Studying him carefully, Dean watched as the average looking, middle aged man made his way over to the cluttered desk, his eyes glued to the large folder in his hands. He was clean shaven with light brown hair, wore tattered jeans with a plain black T-shirt and as he turned slightly, Dean caught a glimpse of the gun handle sticking out the side of his belt. He shuffled with the papers inside the large folder for a moment before a loud thud overhead, forced both men to look up to the ceiling above.

"Damn drunks..." He muttered under his breath, shutting the folder in his hands and dropping it onto the desk in front of him. "Sleep well?" He asked bluntly as he made his way towards the small cell in the corner of the room. "You've been out for hours, sorry about the handcuffs kid, but it's for your own safety."

Though Dean had heard his words, he offered no reply as he quickly re-evaluated the situation he was in, now that he'd noticed the large Devil's trap painted on the ceiling above the bed. A hunter, he'd been picked up by another hunter.

"That's a Devil's trap." The man explained as he approached. "It's used to keep..."

"I know what it is." Dean was quick to cut in, his gaze finally meeting those of the man standing on the other side of the iron bars. "I'm a hunter. What the Hell am I doing here and why am I locked up?

"You're a hunter?" The other man replied, the skepticism in his voice hard to miss. "What is it you hunt?" He asked, ignoring the younger man's questions as he watched him shift his weight on the bed, pain and discomfort clearly visible on his face.

Dean sucked in a breath, his left arm pressed up against his sore ribs. "What do I hunt?" He repeated, the ridiculous question catching him off guard. "Every evil son of a bitch I come across. Why the hell am I in here?" He continued.

"No one hunts everything." The older man replied simply, once again ignoring the Dean's question. "You chase more than one or two monsters and odds are you're gonna make a mistake that'll cost you your life." He paused for only a moment as he caught Dean's eyes. "The name's Bill by the way, I hunt Djin and Demons. The former being what I specialize in. Listen kid," He started, his tone of voice dropping. "You were attacked by a Djin and once this thing got its hands on you, it filled your head with all sorts of shit, false memories it uses to keep you where it wants you until it's done feeding off you. These things are nasty; they can make you believe anything."

There was a moment of silence and Dean couldn't help but feel the frustration start to surface. He didn't have time for this, not while his little brother was still out there. "I've been around the block more than once, I've been hunting since I was a kid and I've been jumped by one of these damn things before, so skip the speech." He growled, his eyes narrowing on the man standing by his cell door. "It didn't fill my head with false memories." Dean paused for a moment as he once again pulled at the handcuff tied around his wrist. "My little brother's still out there, I've got to find him."

"Look, I know this is hard for you to understand, but these memories you swear are real, they aren't. This Djin is fast and once it gets a hold of you, you've only got a day or two, three at the most before your grip on reality gets away from you. It feeds off emotions, off negative energy, so it creates all these scenarios in your head to get a rise out of you... get you all worked up. I've been tracking this thing for months and I need you alive to put this damn thing down for good." "Are you not listening to me?" Dean barked, instantly regretting the moment he raised his voice when he felt his chest tighten. "My brother's still out there, we were hunting this damn thing together when I was jumped and..." Dean trailed off as the man on the other side of the bars crossed his arms in front of his chest. The way things were going, he wasnt't going to talk his way out of anything. "You've been hunting this thing for months?" He asked, hoping a different approach would get him what he wanted. "Well then let me hunt it with you, you want this son of a bitch dead and so do I. Let me out and I'll help you put this thing down."

"I can't risk your life." Bill replied simply as he let out a sigh. "You're not a hunter kid and the fact you're so convinced that you are, means I'm already running out of time. "

Watching as the other man turned to leave, Dean got to his feet, swearing under his breath as he took a step towards the bars and the handcuff around his wrist stopped him in his tracks. Though the pain was almost unbearable, the anger was all he could really focus on. "You don't have the slightest idea who you're dealing with." He snarled, his menacing tone of voice forcing the other man to look over.

"Actually I do, Dean Winchester." Bill replied as he caught the other man's eyes. "Trust me, I've done my research and right now, I probably know more about you than you do. This isn't the first time I've dealt with victims of a Djin." He said as he made his way back towards his cluttered desk. "You wouldn't believe some of the stories I've heard, some of the things these people thought they..."

"Then tell me who am I. " Dean shouted, wincing as his rising voice brought on the pain he was trying to ignore. "If I'm not a hunter than who am I?" He continued, trying to gather as much information as he could to better understand what was going on around him. "You want me to keep my facts straight right? Keep me from losing my grip on reality?" He asked, playing along with what the other man had told him so far. "Then tell me who I really am."

Bill paused as he reached his cluttered desk. Maybe he was right, maybe knowing the truth would indeed help him keep his facts straight and by doing so keep him alive. Though he'd dealt with countless Djin and the confused victims they left behind in their wake, none were as so sure of themselves or as persistent as this one. Of all the victims he'd caught up to, not one had ever claimed to be a hunter, or even aware of the true evil and darkness that lurked the world around them. He turned slightly to catch the younger man's eyes before taking a glance at the folder on his desk and grabbing one of the many police reports. "You're a career criminal. You spent your childhood in and out of foster homes; your teen years in and out of juvenile halls & group homes, and much of your adult life in and out of jail over petty crimes." He said frankly, making his way back towards the cell and passing Dean the report. "You've got a rap sheet five miles long and you've probably seen the backseat of every cop car across the state."

There was a moment of silence and for the first time since he'd woken up chained to a bed, Dean started doubting himself. The booking report he was holding was dated only days ago and under his mug shot the charges against him were listed; theft, trespass by night, assault and resisting arrest. His heart skipped a beat as he took a seat on the edge of the tiny bed, the hunt playing out frame by frame in the back of his head as he tried to remember if he had in fact fallen prey to the Djin. Though he couldn't recall any specific moment of the struggle where the creature would have had the time needed to do him in, it was starting to sink in that he was in fact caught up in its web. "Foster homes?" He asked, his quiet voice now void of any anger. "My Dad's the one who raised me to be a hunter, I spent my childhood on the road with him."

"Sorry kid but you're not a hunter and neither was your old man." Bill said as he made his way back to his cluttered desk. "You and your brother became Wards of the State shortly after your mother died and your father was incarcerated." He paused for a moment as his gaze drifted over the young man in the cell. "Just hang in there, once I kill this damn thing, you'll know what's real again." He said as he headed up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"What do you mean it pushed you?" Jody asked as she caught Sam's eyes. "Are you sure you didn't just back into the widow while you were fighting with it?"

Sam shook his head. "No, it had me pinned to the wall then it moved me over and pushed me through that window." He explained, struggling to find a reason why the creature wouldn't have wanted to feed off him instead. When Castiel walked into the room, their eyes met for only a moment and Sam knew the news was bad. "Did you find him?" He asked, watching as the angel's gaze drifted to the woman sitting on the edge of his bed.

"No." The angel replied simply. "I found his flashlight in one of the small office rooms upstairs, and his blade on the floor but no other trace of him... him or the Djin that attacked you."

"The last I saw of him, the Djin had him pinned to the floor." Sam recalled, swearing under his breath as he once again tried to sit up. "I don't even know if he got up off the floor or not, I was too busy trying to get that damn Djin's hand away from my throat." Castiel took a quick glance at the open door behind him before reaching down to press a hand to Sam's forehead. Almost instantly Sam could feel his wounds heal, from his shoulder and back to the headache, scrapes, scratches and bruises. He knew the angel's power had faded since he'd gotten his stolen Grace back but there were some things he could still do and this was one he would do without hesitation, especially for him or his brother.

"How do feel now?" Castiel asked as he pulled away.

"Much better, thanks Cas." He whispered as he finally sat up, relieved the pain caused in the fall was now gone so he could focus on finding his brother. "We need to go over your victim reports again." He said as he turned to Jody. "See if there's a pattern or a connection between them that we missed." Castiel watched as the woman got to her feet and handed Sam a duffle bag she had pulled from the back seat of the Impala. "There has to be a reason why it pushed me through a window instead of making me its next meal."

"You get dressed and I'll go sign you out." Jody replied as she headed for the door.

"What exactly are you going to tell them?" Sam asked. "I doubt they were going to be releasing me this early..."

"I'll figure something out, just come meet me at the nursing station."

Castiel pulled the curtain separation closed as he waited for Sam to dress. He'd searched every inch of that old factory and had found no trace of Dean, or the Djin that had taken him. Though the situation was cause for concern, it wasn't the Djin that had Castiel worried; it was the mark of Cain. Dean was doing what he could to hide it but the angel could tell that its need for bloodshed was getting stronger, no matter how hard Dean tried to fight it. "How has he been lately?" He asked quietly, watching as nurses passed back and forth out in the hall. "Was hunting this thing his idea or yours?"

"His." Sam was quick to reply. "Jody had been tracking it and sent us the info she had so far. Dean's the one that jumped on it, he took the case because he needed a break from the research." When Sam pulled the curtain aside, the angel turned to face him. "He seems alright, but he's been having nightmares... it worries me, Cas." Sam admitted as he passed a hand through his hair. "It's like one moment he's in control and the next he isn't. I can tell that he's fighting it but I don't know how long he'll be able to keep this up."

"We'll find a way to rid him of the mark." Castiel assured, watching as Sam grabbed his duffle bag from the bed. "But first we need to deal with this Djin." He continued as they made their way down the hall to the main desk. "One thing at a time." Though he offered the other man what he could of a reassuring smile, his thoughts were racing with the worst case scenario of what would become of Dean if he died. With the mark of Cain's darkness holding fast, Castiel couldn't help but wonder if they would be able to cure the demon Dean would once again become, should they be too late to save his life.

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Dean's eyes were still glued to the police report long after Bill's footsteps had disappeared up the stairs. "This isn't good." He muttered under his breath, letting the piece of paper fall to the bed beside him. He knew what was real and what wasn't, knew what the other hunter had told him about his family was all an elaborate story the Djin had spun to keep his mind busy while his body withered away inside that old factory somewhere. Eyeing the bandage wrapped around his right forearm for a moment, he tore the tape away and unwrapped the gauze to have a look at whatever wound it was covering. Seeing the large gash where the mark of Cain use to be only further confirmed what he already knew.

Unlike his first encounter with a Djin, this one hadn't given him a life he would have wanted, this one had tossed him into the mess his life would have become had he not been a hunter with his father. Pushing it all aside, he swallowed hard as he once again tried to figure out when the Djin would have had time to do him in. Attacked in the small office room, he was pinned to the floor before shots rang out and the creature got off of him. It had been a no more than a few seconds, but the more the scene played out in his head, the more Dean started to realize those few seconds might have been the moment he'd fallen prey to the Djin he'd been hunting. He'd hunted Djin before but there was something different about this one that had him wondering if he and his brother had missed something when Jody handed them the case. The more he thought about it the more he picked apart every single detail he could recall from the moment he'd hit the floor.

It had happened in the blink of an eye but there was one thing that did jump out at him, the markings were different. Unlike anything he'd ever seen before on a Djin. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took a deep breath and swore to himself as he felt his chest tighten once again. "Not sure if you can hear me out there Cas, but it's worth a shot." He started, his eyes closing as he prayed to the angel who'd once risked everything for him. "I know this damn Djin's probably got me strung up somewhere, comatose, but in the life or reality or whatever he's dropped my mind in, another hunter picked me up. This guy tells me that he needs me alive to put this Djin he's hunting down so he's got me locked up... I don't know if it's even possible but I think we're hunting the same thing and I don't think it's a Djin like the ones we've put down before."

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Castiel paused in his steps as the trio made their way across the Hospital parking lot. He took a quick glance around and his eyes caught Sam's as the other man turned, noticing he'd stopped walking.

"Cas what's wro..." Sam trailed off as the angel put a hand up to hush him.

"It's Dean." He said, listening intently as the hunter's words started trickling in.

"What? You can hear him?" Jody asked, watching as the angel once again took a glance around the parking lot.

"Yes." Castiel replied simply. "He says that he's ok but that another hunter picked him up... He also tells me that he's not so sure it's a Djin you were hunting. He said the markings were different."

"How can you hear him when we don't even know where he is?" Jody asked as they continued to make their way across the lot.

"He prayed to me." Castiel started quietly, wondering what condition the young hunter was really in for him to have made such a call.

"Does he pray to you often?" Jody asked the tone of her voice pulling a slight smile from Sam's lips.

"No." The angel replied simply. "He hasn't prayed to me since Purgatory."

"Well, when he can't just pick up the phone and call, at least he knows one way to reach you." Sam replied, happy to have had some news about what had happened to his brother. "If he's reaching out to you, at least we know he's still alive even if it's all in his subconscious." He continued as they reached Jody's truck. "I say we head back to the bunker and see what we can dig up on any Djin-like creatures... I'm starting to think it wasn't a Djin either."

***************************************

Dean glanced up as the door at the top of the stairs unlatched and opened. Though this hunter seemed to know what he was talking about, he couldn't ignore his own instinct or the feeling in his gut. He had to go back to that old factory, he had to go find his little brother and get himself out of this mess. He watched as Bill made his way over with a tray of food in his hands.

"Hope you're hungry." He announced as he placed the tray down on his cluttered desk and headed towards the small cell.

Dean didn't move from his spot on the edge of the bed as he watched Bill pull a set of keys from his pocket. He was too busy studying everything he could about the older man to offer a reply. The set of keys in his left front pocket, the handle of the gun sticking out of his belt, everything from the way he moved down to which hand he used to unlock the cell door. They were small details, but details that would help him gauge the other hunter's next move once he made his own.

"You want to use the bathroom?" Bill asked as he made his way towards the small bed.

"Yeah actually I do." Dean replied, sucking in a breath as he felt his heart start to race. When Bill reached over to unlock the handcuff from around the headboard of the bed, Dean was ready. The moment it unlatched, he sprang from his seat and grabbed the other man's hand to force it down. He threw a punch that caught Bill in the jaw then reached for the other man's gun. Though every movement was painful, Dean forced himself to keep going through it. As he gripped the weapon's handle, the other man kneed him in the ribs. It was a blow he hadn't seen coming and one that sent him to the floor in an instant. He was on his knees, hunched over with his arms wrapped around his ribs, gasping desperately to catch his breath when he heard the gun load.

"Pretty gutsy move for a man that can barely stand on his own two feet." Bill growled, passing a hand over his bloodied lip as he watched Dean struggle to catch his breath. "You're locked up for your own good." He continued. "The sooner you realize that the easier all of this is going to be on you!"

Dean swore to himself as he started coughing up blood, the heaving motion sending a whole new level of pain coursing through his battered body. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand then leaned against the small bed behind him, his lungs burning with every breath. "I need to go find my brother." He hissed through clenched teeth, his words barely coming together.

"Your brother's dead." Bill was quick to reply, the bluntness in his voice another blow to the young man on the floor in front of him. "And you would be too if I hadn't of picked you up at that old factory. "

There was a moment of silence as those words cut Dean down to the core. Though he knew it wasn't true, at least not the truth he knew, he still wasn't sure what had happened to Sam once he'd been pushed off the platform. The smile that crept up to the corner of his lip as he sat up made the other man's eyes narrow. "You're not going to kill me." He started, staring down the barrel of the gun in Bill's hands. "You said you needed me alive to take this Djin down." He continued, repeating what the other hunter had already told him as he pulled himself back up to his feet.

"Actually, all I really need is your blood." Bill growled, his patience wearing thin. "The only reason you're still alive after that stunt you just pulled, is because I've got a bar full of patrons upstairs who'd hear the gunshot."

Dean sucked in a breath as he straightened out and steadied himself for another try. "Good to know." He replied as he threw another punch and grabbed the muzzle of the gun with his other hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Back in the bunker Sam looked up from his laptop as Jody placed a stack of files on the table in front of him. "These are all the police reports concerning the missing persons I think are related to this case." She said, taking a seat across from him. "Six missing, eight found dead and dozens of attacks reported in the area, all describe the attacker as a middle aged man; tall, thin, tattooed, gruff looking, possibly homeless."

"I've searched that factory inside and out, I didn't see anyone there." Castiel replied as he made his way to the table, adding documents he'd pulled from Men of Letters's archives to the growing pile.

"Yeah, the police searched it inside and out too." Jody added, eying the documents Castiel had gathered.

"Ok so let's start from the beginning again." Sam said as he pushed his laptop to the side and spread out the police reports Jody had brought. "Aside from the general area where the victims were last seen and others were attacked, what do these people have in common?"

"Nothing." Jody replied with a sigh as her gaze drifted down to the police reports on the table in front of them. "I went over this countless times and I can't find a connection between them at all. The only thing that links them is what those who got away described... which led me to believe I was dealing with a Djin."

"What really doesn't make sense to me," Sam started as he leaned back in his chair. "Is why this thing came after me only to shove me through a window."

"That puts you in the 'attacked but got away' category." Jody explained as she reached over to put her hand on one of the files in front of them. "Most of the people that were attacked described this man choking them until they black out. When they came to, he's gone and they're scratched up and bruised but otherwise OK."

"Maybe it's not a Djin?" Castiel offered, his eyes catching Sam's for only a moment before he started shuffling through the documents he'd gathered. "According the Men of Letter's notes, there are Djin-like creatures and several types of Djin out there. Though many are long extinct or incredibly rare."

"I got a good look at it when it was on Dean, it was definitely a Djin." Sam remarked, his mind racing back to the old factory where he had peered into the dark room and saw his brother pinned to the floor.

"But when he reached out to me, Dean told me something was wrong." Castiel continued, his voice dropping slightly. "He said the markings were different."

"So a type of Djin, but we have no clue which one?" Jody asked, watching as the angel carefully studied the documents in front of him and Sam pulled his laptop back towards him. "And I assume we can't kill them all the same way?"

"Probably not." Sam replied simply without looking up. "Nothing's ever that easy or simple."

"Of course it isn't." The Sherriff muttered under her breath.

"What about the age?" Casitel asked as he pulled out a file that had caught his eye. "Were the victims all around the same age?"

Jody shook her head. "The oldest was in his sixties, the youngest was fifteen. Different backgrounds, ethnicities, careers, social circles..." Jody trailed off as Sam suddenly looked up from his laptop to catch her eyes." What ?" She asked, watching as he started gathering the police reports he had spread out on the table in front of him. He didn't offer a reply as he started franticly typing away, but it was obvious that something had come to mind.

"They did have something in common." He finally started, scanning over the newspaper articles he'd found on the various disappearances and deaths. "All of them were the first born in their family." He replied, turning his laptop around to show Jody one of the family photos he'd pulled from the headlines. "They were all different ages, but they all had younger siblings, they were the oldest and first born."

Castiel flipped through the files he'd gathered on Djin and pulled out the only one that seemed to fit what Sam had described. Unlike some of the other documents on types of Djin that had been resorted and retyped over the years, it was obvious that this one hadn't been out of the archives for quite some time. The paper had turned yellow with age and the typewriter's ink had started to fade. "There is a very rare type of Djin that's not been documented since the early 1800's, that feeds only on first born." He said, studying the creature's description and habits. "Not much research has been done on them since they're so rare but according to this, the creature spreads its toxin through skin to skin contact which leaves behind a burn-like mark."

"What happens to the victims?" Sam was quick to ask, watching as Castiel struggled to read the fragile and faded piece of paper in his hands.

"Most victims are left comatose only seconds after an attack, but some take up to a minute or two before the toxin kicks in. It usually creates panic by chocking their victims, which elevates the heart rate and gets the blood pumping faster to better spread the poison. Once unconscious, the Djin manipulates the victim's thoughts and memories to create emotional turmoil... it then feeds off the resulting negative energy."

"That's not good." Sam muttered under his breath. "Dean's got more than enough emotional turmoil to keep that damn thing fed for weeks." He continued, catching the angel's equally troubled eyes. "Any info on how to kill it?"

"A silver blade, dipped in the blood of a victim." Castiel replied. "Once a victim is infected, the toxins that are released into the bloodstream are toxic even to the creature itself."

"Which is why they feed off the energy and not the flesh?" Jody asked, watching Castiel offered a nod.

Sam let out a sigh as he passed a hand through his hair. "How are we supposed to use Dean's blood to kill this thing when we don't even know where he is?"

"We don't." Jody replied bluntly. "We find another victim, set this Djin up, and then hunt it down."

"You want to use someone as bait?" Sam asked as their eyes met. "Setting someone up as bait to lure this thing out is a bad idea, too much could go wrong and Dean would never want to risk someone else's life to..."

"Yeah well Dean's not here." Jody was quick to cut in. "And I got you guys into this mess in the first place. I'm a first born; I say we hit that factory tonight, wait for this Djin to attack me then use my blood to kill it."

"Yeah and what if killing it doesn't snap you, or the others out of whatever coma it puts you in?" Sam asked, considering all the risks involved with her idea. "We've hunted different types of Djin but I have never come across anything like this one before, I don't even know if the antidote we have can counteract the poison it..."

"You got a better plan Winchester?" She replied, cutting him short. "I know there's some pretty big risks involved, but if we don't do something, the body count is just going to keeps rising." She paused for only a moment as the other man glanced over to catch the angel's eyes. "We'll head out by nightfall to see if we can lure this thing out." She said getting up from her seat. "The bodies that were recovered were found days after they were reported missing, so I don't think we have much time to waste."

* * *

In the blink of an eye, Dean ripped the gun out of Bill's hand as he distracted him with a punch to the face. He tossed the weapon onto the bed behind him as he dodged a swing that was clearly meant for his bruised ribs, and grabbed the hunter's arm. With adrenaline overtaking the pain of his movements, he spun the other man around and put him in a chokehold, keeping a firm grip until Bill finally stopped struggling. Unable to hold the unconscious man up, Dean lowered him down to the floor at his feet then straightened out. The moment he did, the pain suddenly caught up to him and he couldn't help but lean heavily against the wall behind him. His breaths were coming in painfully short gasps now, and each one was burning at his lungs and pulling at his chest. It took a moment for him to regain control, but when his pounding heart steadied and he was able to catch his breath, he grabbed the keys from the floor and unlocked the handcuff that was still hanging around his wrist.

He rolled Bill onto his stomach, clamped one cuff around the man's wrist and the other to the frame of the small bed, then quickly went through the hunter's pockets. From one pocket he pulled out a set of car keys and a silver switchblade, from the other, some spare change and a lighter. He shoved the items into his own pocket then grabbed the gun from the small bed behind him. He took a quick glance at the clip to make sure it was loaded and tucked the weapon into the back of his belt. Stepping out of the small cell, he locked the door behind him, grabbed his jacket from the hook on the wall and left the set of keys hanging in its place. The hunt for a Djin hadn't gone as smoothly as they'd expected, but dealing with the issues as they came up was just part of the job. Almost nothing ever went as planned.

With Bill's words about Sam being dead still circling in his head, Dean made his way to the hunter's cluttered desk and started going through the folders. Though he knew without a doubt that he was caught up in a Djin's web, the more he knew about the situation he was in, the better the chances he thought he would have to get himself out of it. Opening the large file with his name on it, he started shuffling through the pages of countless police reports, looking for any mention of his little brother or his past. The life he'd lived was much different than the one he was leafing through, the one Bill had researched. He paused as one hand written document caught his attention, it was easily recognizable as notes any good hunter would have taken while working a case and researching a victim.

 _Dean Winchester;  
Ward of the State of Kansas, age 4, Schizophrenic Tendencies, PST or other undiagnosed mental health issues. Unresponsive to therapy sessions, trouble connecting with Foster Parents, separated from sibling at age 14 in best interest of other child, in and out of group homes and juvenile detention centers until age 18. No known address hereafter, multiple convictions._

 _John Winchester (Father) convicted of murder in the death of Mary Winchester -nee Campbell, (Mother) sentenced to life and died while incarcerated. Samuel Winchester aka Officer Samuel W. Robertson._ _(Brother) Deceased. Estranged after separation at age 10, adopted same year. See Case file #27._

While the notes lacked in detail, the picture they painted was painfully clear. His heart hit the bottom of his stomach and for a moment, he could have sworn he was about to throw up. "What the Hell." He muttered under his breath, his eyes glued to the words on the sheet in front of him. Murder. His father had been convicted of murdering his mother, this was the single event in his life that had thrown everything off the path he knew, the path that saw him become the hunter he was today. His eyes closed for a moment as he drew a sharp breath, pain pulling at his sore ribs. "None of it is real." He whispered to himself, doing his best to push the devastation aside. "It's not real."

Closing his file, his eyes now drifted over to the other folders on the cluttered desk, the one with the number 27 on it catching his attention. He pulled it towards him and flipped it open to have a look but froze as the door at the top of the stairs opened.

"Shit..." He muttered to himself, glancing over to the unconscious man on the floor of the small cell as he reached for the gun. He made his way around the desk to a large filing cabinet and ducked in against it as a young woman came down the stairs, an empty case of beer in her hands. She headed across the room to stack it with the others and for a moment Dean thought she wouldn't notice anything was wrong, but then she turned to glance towards the cell.

"Dad, diner's getting cold." She called out, waiting a moment for the other man to reply. When there was no response, she turned. "Dad?"

Though her voice was oddly familiar to him, Dean couldn't place it. He pressed his back against the filing cabinet as she made her way passed him and headed for the small cell where she saw her father laying on the floor, handcuffed to the bed. He followed quietly and held his breath as he came up behind her and caught her by surprise. "Don't make a sound and don't move." He started, watching as she put her hands up and then turned slightly to catch his eyes. The moment he saw her face, his heart sank like a stone. "Jo..." He whispered, his words catching in the back of his throat as his mind drifted back to the moment he'd placed a makeshift detonator in her dying hands and kissed her goodbye.


	5. Chapter 5

The look on her face was more than enough to remind him that she had no idea who he was, but Dean couldn't help himself as memories of their last stand together started taking over. Ellen and Jo had died to give him and Sam a fighting chance at stopping the Apocalypse, it was one of many deaths he felt responsible for. Her blood had always been on his hands, no matter how many times Sam told him that it was her choice to join their fight.

"What the hell did you do to my father?" She hissed, the tone of her voice bringing him back to the reality he was in.

"He'll be fine, he's just unconscious." Dean replied simply, doing what he could to separate the life he knew from the one she did.

Her hands clenched into fists as she turned to face him. "We're trying to help you." She started, lowering her hands as he lowered the gun. "You might not understand what's going on, but you need to trust us." Jo said quietly as her eyes drifted back towards her father in the cell. "We're here to help you."

"You want to help me?" Dean was quick to reply, tucking the gun away as he pulled the keys from his pocket. "Then you can fill me in on the case your Dad was working." When he turned around to grab the files from the cluttered desk, he felt the blade of a knife come up to his throat from behind him.

"You're not going anywhere." Jo growled, pulling her father's gun from the back of his belt as she removed the sharp blade from his throat.

Dean swore under his breath as she pushed him forward and his hands landed hard on the desk. He closed his eyes as the jolt sent pain radiating in all direction, an agonizing reminder of his bruised ribs. Turning his back to her had been a stupid mistake, one he couldn't believe he had just made. "Listen, I need to get back to that factory." He started, slowly straightening out. "I was hunting a Djin with my brother when your Dad picked me up."

"You're not a hunter." Jo was quick to reply, the bluntness in her voice echoing that of her father's. "All you remember are memories a Djin fabricated to keep you busy. What you remember before that attack isn't real, it never happened. It's nothing more than..."

"Yeah, your old man already gave me this speech." Dean interrupted as he turned around to face her. "That isn't going to be enough to stop me from heading back to that old factory to find my brother."

"You're not going anywhere." Jo replied sternly.

"Then you'd better shoot me." Dean suggested, starring down the barrel of the gun in her hands. "Because that's the only way you'll be able to keep me locked up down here." His low voice echoed in the basement room as his eyes narrowed. There was a moment of silence and when the crash of breaking glass overhead distracted her, Dean didn't hesitate. The second her eyes drifted up towards the clatter, he reached out to grab her arm. Forcing it down in a twisting motion that made her turn around, he held her arm behind her back for a moment as he grabbed the gun from her grip and then pushed her away from him. Disarming her with one quick move, he realized that the woman standing there in front of him, wasn't the same as the one he remembered. She may have been the daughter of a hunter and she might have been trained to play the part, but she clearly lacked the instinct and experience.

"Fine, you wan't to leave? Then just go." Jo hissed, her hands dropping to her sides. "You can go back to that old factory, but I guaranty that you won't find what you're looking for." She went on, watching as Dean grabbed the folders from the desk behind him and took a glance around the basement room. "Your brother's already dead."

"Yeah, well you can tell me what happened to him on the way there." Dean started, passing her the folders as he eyed a second set of stairs leading up to Bulkhead doors. "C'mon let's go." He continued as he pointing her across the room with the gun. He watched as her gaze drifted back towards her unconscious father on the floor of the tiny cell, before focusing on the gun his hand. "Look, I just need you to fill me in on what happened, tell me about the case your Dad was working." Dean went on, tucking the gun away in hopes of putting her at ease. "He gave me a quick rundown of my past and then I found his notes, I need to know what happened."

"Fine." She growled. "I'll tell you what you want to know, but I don't think it'll help you." Clutching the research her father had gathered on his latest case, she made her way across the floor towards the set of stairs that would lead them outside. "It's not like I really have a choice considering you pointed a loaded gun at me." She continued as he followed her up the old concrete steps. She paused as she unlatched the large door and turned slightly to catch his eyes, almost surprised not to see the gun pointed at her back. "Just for the record, I think this is a terrible idea."

"Locking me up in that cell was a terrible idea." Dean was quick to reply as she pushed the large door open and stepped out. Though he could hear people talking in the distance, there was no one in sight as he followed her around the side of the building towards a parking lot at the back. "Place looks pretty empty for a Friday night." He remarked, the drone of music bleeding through the walls fading as they got further away from the building.

"Customers park in the front." She replied simply, pointing him towards a beat-up truck next to an old shed. "And it's only seven, folks don't start to show until at least 10 O'clock."

Dean pulled the keys from his pocket as they approached the truck and slid in behind the wheel, pausing to catch his breath as Jo climbed into the passenger seat. He winced as he straightened out, pain still radiating from his chest with every breath.

"You alright?" Jo asked, watching as his eyes closed and he sucked in a ragged breath.

He offered her a nod as he shoved the keys in the ignition and started the old truck. "I'm fine." He replied, shifting into drive. "Your old man certainly knows how to take advantage of someone's weak-spots though."

"Yeah well I'm sure you deserved it." She answered her voice void of any real concern as she watched him wrap his free arm around his ribs.

"How far are we from that old factory in Scythe?" Dean asked as he drove through the parking lot.

"Almost an hour. " Jo replied as she started shuffling through the folders in her hands. When he slammed on the brakes and turned in his seat to look out the rear window at the tavern behind them, her eyes followed his gaze. "What's wrong?"

Dean didn't offer a reply as he focused on the old building behind them, "The Harvell Roadhouse." He blurted, eying the bar that had burned to the ground nearly a decade ago. It hadn't occurred to him until he saw that sign plastered across the front of the tavern. "Never thought I'd see this place again..."

"You've been here before?" Jo asked, bringing him back to the reality he was in. "Don't remember seeing you hanging around."

"It was a long time ago." Dean replied, turning his attention back to the road ahead as he pulled out of the parking lot. There was a moment of silence and his grip on the steering wheel tightened as the short history Bill had given started circling in his head again. "You're Dad told me I only had a few days before I'd start losing my mind, he told me that whatever I remembered never happened, and it would only get worse."

"Yeah, that's what a Djin does to you." Jo replied simply. "That's why my Dad had you locked up, so you wouldn't do anything stupid. Like this. "

Dean glanced over for only a moment before focusing on the deserted road ahead. "I want to know what happened to my brother, to my family." He said, mentally preparing himself for what he knew would be nothing but heartbreak.

* * *

"You sure about this?" Sam asked, looking over at Jody as she pulled up to the old factory.

She let out a sigh as she put the shifter in park and pulled the keys from the ignition. "Ask me one more time and I'm going to hit you." Jody replied simply, catching his eyes for only a moment before getting out of the truck. She pulled a duffle bag out from under the seat and made her way around to the back as Castiel and Sam joined her. "I'm supposed to be on patrol here tonight, so there shouldn't be cops rolling by the joint, but make sure you've got your fake ID's on you just in case." She informed as she pulled the tailgate open and dropped the duffle bag down onto it. "If anyone asks, you're working with me and we're following up on the investigation."

Passing a hand down the inside of his overcoat just to be sure he had his ID on him, Castiel watched as Sam leaned back against the truck, his eyes fixed on the abandoned factory looming in front of them. Following his gaze up to the shattered window he'd been pushed through, the angel could tell the events of the night before were once again playing in the back of his head. "Are you alright?" He quietly asked, his voice tearing Sam away from his thoughts.

Sam looked over for only a moment before clearing his throat and passing a hand over his face. "Yeah I'm fine." He was quick to reply as he straightened out, unaware that the angel had been studying him carefully. "It just all happened so fast..." He started, trailing off as his eyes fell to the Impala that was still parked right where they had left it. "One second it was a hunt like any other and the next thing I knew Dean was down and it came after me." Sam paused as he felt the words catch in the back of his throat. "Every time I close my eyes all I see that damn thing pinning Dean to the floor."

"Don't worry, we'll find him." Castiel reassured.

"Yeah and we're gonna kill the damn thing before it takes anyone else down." Jody added as she tossed her duffle back into the truck and shut the tailgate. "As far as we know, this thing is going to come after me before it pays any attention to either of you. So give me a few feet and hang back, keep your distance but don't let me get out of your sight."

Castiel offered her a nod as they made their way up to the door, yellow police tape and 'No Trespassing' signs clinging to the chain link fence set up to block the entrance. The large lock on the gate and the multiple warnings didn't seem like they were doing much to keep people out.

"Keep your eyes open and be careful." Sam said as he watched Jody reach for the door. "We'll be right behind you, but this thing was fast."

She gave him a nod as she turned her flashlight on and stepped into the old factory. Though the sun was just starting to set, it was already almost as dark as night inside the large abandoned building. She walked cautiously, her eyes scanning the various shadows her flashlight cast along the floor and behind various pieces of idle machinery. "Using yourself as the bait was a great idea." She muttered to herself. Swallowing hard, she did her best to keep her nerves under control as she baited their trap to lure the creature out of hiding. "Hello?" She called out in the darkness, her voice bouncing off the walls around her. She paused in her steps and turned on the spot as a sound in the distance caught her attention."South Dakota Sherriff identify yourself." She continued, glancing over her shoulder at the men waiting in the doorway before moving on.

Keeping their eye on the beam of Jody's flashlight, Sam and Castiel crept into the dark building after her. Taking cover behind a stack of old crates and wooden pallets, the pair watched as the woman wandered the floor, her focus on something at the far end of the large factory. "I've got a bad feeling about this."Sam whispered to the angel at his side as they moved up a few more feet and ducked down behind a piece of machinery. "I think it's setting her up just like I think it set Dean up, I think it's a trap and it's luring her in."

"I thought that was the plan." Castiel quietly replied, taking a quick glance at the man beside him before focusing on Jody. "We need the blood of a victim to kill this Djin, Jody offered to..."

"I know she offered, I've just got a bad feeling about this." Sam interrupted, unable to shake the gut feeling that their plan to lure the creature out of hiding, would cost them more than what they'd bargained for.

When the creak of a rusty door on its hinges echoed in the silence, Jody came to a stop. "Sioux Falls Sherriff, this is private property and you have no right to be here." She called out, her flashlight illuminating a large steel door as she approached it. The door was slightly ajar and for a moment she wondered if the light breeze would be enough to move it. "Identify yourself." She continued, eyeing the _'Maintenance personnel only'_ and ' _High voltage'_ signs that were prominently displayed below the faded white lettering that read ' _Pumping Power Station B_.' As her heart started to race, her free hand instinctively reached for the handle of her gun. She reached over to push the door open with her other hand but froze as the sound of glass snapping under someone's feet, forced her to look away. In the second it took for her to turn towards the direction the sound had come from, the door swung open and a cold hand wrapped around her throat.


	6. Chapter 6

Jo cleared her throat as she pulled a sheet of paper from the folder in her lap. "Your mother died on November 2, 1985; her death and the fire that started in your home that night was deemed suspicious. Not long after, your father was arrested and charged with arson, murder, attempted murder and endangering life. He was sentenced to life for his crimes despite his lawyer's argument the he suffered from PTSD and wasn't fit to stand trial. With no relatives to care for you and your brother, you became wards of the state."

He could feel the anger smoldering in his core as her words slowly sank in. "That's not what happened." Dean growled as he shook his head, unable to accept what she'd just told him. "It was a Yellow eyed demon that killed my mom... that's the reason my Dad started hunting and that's why he raised Sam & I to be hunters. I put a bullet in that son of a bitch myself and I know you don't believe..."

"That yellow eyed demon's name was Azazel." Jo interrupted, pausing for only a moment as Dean looked over to catch her eyes. "And you didn't kill him, a demon hunter did a couple years after your mother was killed. Unfortunately, your dad wasn't the only one accused of a crime he didn't commit. Almost a dozen other people were sent to prison under similar circumstances."

"Why the hell did my Dad end up behind bars then if other hunters out there knew this demon was responsible for..."

"You honestly think a Jury would believe that a demon killed your mother?" Jo cut in, instantly silencing the man behind the wheel. She paused for a moment as she flipped through the pages, the other man's reaction not one she'd been expecting. While her father had always told her that a Djin's victims were living memories that never actually happened, she was starting to wonder just how much of that was true. Unlike other victims her father had tried saving, Dean knew details only another hunter would know. "Your father died behind bars a few years later."

Dean swallowed hard as he tried to stay focused, repeating to himself that none of it was real and that it was all just in his head. He could feel the raw emotion taking hold of him; the anger, frustration, despair... and remembered what Bill had told him about the Djin getting him worked up so it could feed off his emotions and negative energy. All the creature had done was alter a single moment from his past, creating a butterfly effect that resulted in the life he was in now. He sucked in a deep breath, he couldn't let it get to him. NONE of it was real. "What happed to me and Sam after my dad ended up in jail?" He asked.

"After that, you and your brother became Wards of the State." Jo started as she read through the files. "You bounced around the foster care system for a while before social workers decided it would be best to split you up. Sam was adapting well but you were constantly trying to take off with him. Your issues went undiagnosed for years and the last time you saw your brother, a restraining order was placed against you. He was eleven, living with a family of five and you were fifteen, in and out of group homes and living on the streets. You showed up at his school and tried to get him to run away with you, teachers called the police and you ended up back in the system. It sort of goes downhill for you after that."

Dean could feel the lump in his throat grow as she read through the details of his life. Though he knew his childhood had been anything but ideal or normal, it had been nowhere near as bad as the one Jo had just described. "What about Sam? What happened to him?"

She shuffled through the papers for a moment before pulling out the second file Dean had grabbed from her father's cluttered desk. "Sam was adopted into the Robertson family at age twelve and went on to become a police officer like his adoptive father. A couple of days ago, he and his partner were called out to that old factory in Scythe to investigate a trespassing complaint. Police are still investigating what happened once they got there, but your brother was killed and his partner hasn't been seen since."

"It was the Djin, wasn't it?" Dean asked, his breath catching in the back of his throat as the sight of Sam struggling with the creature flashed in the back of his head.

"Dad thought so." Jo was quick to reply. "But the cops are still trying to make sense of a static filled call your brother made moments before his partner shot him dead."

Dean glanced over for only a moment as she shut the folder she'd been holding and set it down on the seat between them. "His partner shot him?" He asked as he made a left turn onto the desolate road that would take them to the sleepy town of Scythe.

"They responded to a similar call the night before, my Dad thinks that his partner was attacked by this Djin and just like you, he got away but this thing's toxins caused everything from hallucinations to memory loss and psychosis. When they responded to that second call, he just lost it. Who knows what he thought he saw when he shot and killed your brother, we're not even sure if he's still alive. Most of the victims that do get away end up committing suicide, I can't imagine the despair this damn creature creates just so it can drain the life out of someone."

* * *

Sam swore under his breath as Jody's flashlight hit the ground and went out. It had happened in the blink of an eye and just like Dean, Jody was now fighting with a Djin that seemed to have come out of nowhere. He came to stand but Castiel was quick to pull him back down to the floor.

"Wait." The angel whispered, their eyes catching for only a moment as he released his grip on the other man's arm. "I know this is difficult for you, but we've got to let it take her." He continued, the sound of the struggle echoing in the building.

Sam swore under his breath. He knew the creature would have to get its hands on Jody for them to get the blood of a victim they needed, but sitting back and just watching as it attacked her was hard for him to take. His heart was in his throat as he watched the Djin push Jody up against the wall, its hand wrapped around her throat to keep her in place. "C'mon you son of a bitch." He muttered under his breath, wondering just how much more the woman could take. Though they could hardly see the struggle in the dimly lit building, they both knew what would happen next when Jody stopped putting up a fight and her hands fell to her sides. The Djin reached out with his free hand and pressed it to her chest for only a moment before releasing its grip from around her throat and letting her fall to the floor.

"You keep it busy." Sam informed. " I'll get her out of there." The pair were on their feet the moment the Djin knelt down next to the unconscious woman on the floor. Splitting up to approach from both sides, they snaked their way towards the creature behind whatever cover they could find. Sam was crouched down next to a barrel, waiting for Castiel to make the first move when the faintest sound of something moving caught his attention. He turned slightly to look back at the darkened factory but couldn't see anything among the shadows.

When Castiel stepped out from behind an old forklift with his angel blade in hand, the Djin was quick to get back up. Sam could have sworn it let out a chuckle as the angel took a swing with his weapon of choice. A struggle soon ensued and as Castiel led the creature away from Jody, Sam moved in. "Jody." He whispered, kneeling at her side as he pulled her into a sitting position and propped her up against the wall. "C'mon, Jody." He repeated, checking for her pulse and making sure she was still breathing before pulling the flashlight from his pocket. He turned it on and eyed the red marks around her neck from where the creature had strangled her, before pulling the collar of her blouse down just low enough to see the burn-like mark it had left.

Holding the flashlight against his shoulder, Sam pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and rolled it out on the floor between them. "This better work." He muttered to himself, trying to keep in mind that being used to bait the creature was her idea. He pushed up her sleeve, found a vein to tap into and went to work drawing blood, filling a first vial and then a second one while continuously monitoring her heart rate. He could feel his own heart racing as the sounds of the struggle between the Djin and Castiel echoed in the darkened factory. Pulling the syringe from her arm, he reached for his silver blade and used the side of the weapon's blade to wipe clean the blood that was trickling out, before applying pressure to stop the bleeding. With his silver blade now laced with the blood of a victim, he carefully wrapped up the vials of blood he'd collected and put them in his pocket. "Alright Jody, time to see if this works." He whispered to the unconscious woman as he pulled out the antidote to the Djin's toxin.

Though the antidote had worked for both him and his brother the last time they'd fallen prey to Djin, Sam knew there was a possibility that the cure wouldn't counteract the effects of this particular creature's toxin. He pressed the needle to her arm and gave her the dose he could only hope would snap her out of whatever comatose state she was in. "C'mon Jody, wake up." He whispered, his heart jumping to his throat as the deafening sound of something crashing to the factory floor ripped through the building. Though the sound in its self was ominous because he had no idea what was going on or if the angel was alright, the silence that followed was even worse.

As the echo faded away and the eerie silence filled the void, Sam felt his heart start to race. "Cas!?" He called out in a hushed voice, his grip on the blade in his hand tightening as he got to his feet. Though he listened intently for any reply, there was nothing but silence and darkness in front of him. He glanced back down at Jody for a moment, the effects of the antidote showing no signs that it was working, then looked back towards the darkness. He took a step forward but froze as another ear splitting crash tore through the silence like thunder. It was then followed by the unmistakable sound of a struggle.

"Get her out of here Sam!" Castiel shouted, dodging one punch only to receive another.

Though Sam couldn't see the Djin or the angel, the desperation in Castiel's voice was enough to convince him that something was wrong. "Cas?!" He called out again, his eyes now desperately scanning the darkness in an attempt to pinpoint the angel and Djin.

"There's more than one of them, Sam." Called a panicked Castiel from somewhere in the darkness. "Get Jody out of here, I'll hold them off!"

Sam swore under his breath as he made his way back to Jody, he'd been right all along. This had been a set up and just like Dean, the creature had separated them while a second one had moved in. He sheathed his knife as he knelt down next to Jody and scooped her up in his arms. She was still unconscious, the antidote a bust against whatever type of Djin they were up against. He first headed to the left to get away from the sound of the fight, then started making his way towards the back of the building. He could hardly see more than a few feet in front of him and stumbled about the trash and debris that littered the floor. With the sound of the fight bouncing off the walls around him, he made his way through the maze of idle machinery and finally made it back out the door.

By the time he reached her truck and leaned Jody against it to pull the door open, he felt as if he'd walked a mile just to get there. He lay her down on the front seat and pulled his duffle bag from the floor, digging through it for only a second before pulling out a second syringe of antidote. "C'mon Jody, snap out of it." He pleaded, administrating another dose in hopes it would be enough to counteract the toxin. His gaze momentarily drifted back to the factory as his mind started to race again, Jody was showing no response to the only known treatment he had, Dean was missing for over a day now and Castiel was fighting not one, but two Djin. Things weren't going well. He took two of the vials of blood he collected from Jody and placed them on the dashboard in front her, then grabbed his silver blade still stained with her blood, and headed back to the factory.

The first thing he noticed when he stepped into the building was the silence. He could no longer hear the sounds of the struggle between the creature they'd been hunting and the angel. The wind rushing past him in the open door, tossing dead leaves and random paper around the floor was the only thing he could hear. His flashlight in one hand and his silver blade in the other, Sam cautiously started to make his way further inside the old building towards the far end of the floor where the attack had begun. With his flashlight, he carefully scanned the darkness as he pressed on, looking for any sign of the angel or the creatures he'd been fighting. He came to a stop as he noticed marks on the floor, streaks where the dust had been wiped away by something either sliding or being dragged. He followed the marks to a piece of machinery that had been tipped onto its side and as he started looking it over, the gleam of something metallic caught his eye. He made his way toward it and felt his heart hit the bottom of his stomach when he realized it was Castiel's angel blade lying among the clutter on the floor.


	7. Chapter 7

Though he tried to ignore it, Dean couldn't help but hear Bill's words repeat in the back of his head. The other hunter had told him it was only a matter of time before he would lose his grip on reality and would start seeing things that weren't actually there, believing things that weren't real. His gaze drifted over to the woman sitting in the passenger seat next to him, a gut-wrenching, sobering reminder that he was already caught up in this Djin's web and in deep, way over his head. Though he knew everything she'd just told him was just part of the story, he was finding it harder to stay focused on the facts of the hunt that had gone wrong so fast. "I took my own life the first time I got jumped by one of these damn things, and woke up strung up in its lair."

"Is that why you jumped?" Jo quietly replied, looking over to catch his eyes.

There was a moment of silence and Dean couldn't help but feel the chill run down his spine, the tone of her voice made the hair stand on the back of his neck. "I didn't jump, I was pushed. It kicked me off the platform when I tried getting to Sam." He explained, pulling up to the large factory.

"No, you jumped." Jo replied bluntly. "Daddy was there looking into your brother's death and his partner's disappearance when you jumped from the platform, you're lucky there was a pile of old crates there to break your fall. How do you think you ended up with that huge gash?" She asked as she pointed to the large bandage wrapped around his forearm. "I pulled a sliver of wood at least two inches long out of there."

Dean's eyes drifted down to the bandage around his arm where the Mark of Cain was supposed to be, before looking up at the factory looming ahead of them. "Enough of this bullshit." He muttered to himself as he put the shifter in park and pulled the keys from the ignition. "This ends right now." He continued as he stepped out, pausing as the pain he'd been ignoring stopped him in his tracks. He leaned heavily against the old truck as he sucked in a deep breath and felt his chest tighten almost instantly. It took a moment for him to adjust, but with the anger and frustration helping him push through the pain, he quickly overcame it and straightened out. He pulled Bill's silver blade from his pocket as he watched Jo climb out after him.

"You can't go in there." She started as she made her way around the truck towards him.

"Watch me." Dean was quick to reply as he caught her eyes. "How do I kill it? Your dad said he needed my blood to put this thing down, what did he mean?" There was a moment of silence and he could see her hesitate. "Tell me how to put it down or not, I'm going in anyway." He said, brushing past her to make his way towards the building.

"You need a silver blade dipped in the blood of a victim." She finally replied, her words forcing him to pause and look back. "That's why Daddy had you locked up, you can imagine how hard it is to find a Djin's victim before their time runs out." She paused as his gaze drifted away. "Please, I told you what you wanted to know about your family, about your brother... Let me call my Dad, get a hold of other hunters so we can put this thing down for good. You can't do it alone, you're already..."

"You hear that?" Dean asked, cutting her off mid sentenced as he turned his attention from the woman in front of him to the large factory.

"Hear what?" She replied, following his gaze to the abandoned building.

Dean listened intently as the wind kicked up death leaves at their feet, bringing with it an almost haunting voice he recognized so well. "That." He replied, his eyes now scanning the darkened windows. "Sammy?!" He called out, his own voice echoing eerily in the quiet night. "It's Sam, he's calling out to Cas..."

* * *

Sam swore under his breath as he listened to his voice bounce off the walls around him. He was meticulously scanning the darkness but could see no sign of the angel or the Djin. "Cas!?" He called out again, knowing this wasn't a good sign as he reached down to grab the angel's blade from the debris on the floor. As the echo of his voice faded away without a response, Sam continued towards the rear of the building where Jody had been attacked. He eyed the steel door that had caught her attention and approached it cautiously, his silver blade firmly tucked in his hand. She had barely reached for the door when the Djin had attacked, just like Dean, it had all happened so fast. Already on edge and half expecting to get jumped at any moment, Sam reached for the door, surprised to find it locked. Taking a moment to study it with his flashlight, he noticed what looked like a smear of blood along the door frame. Now he felt sure he knew where the Djinn had come from and where the creature was hiding, if this is where it was hiding out, there was no doubt in his mind that he would find both Dean and Cas there as well.

Knowing there was no way for him break the large steel door open, he started scouring the building for other doors that would lead him down into the maintenance rooms below the factory floor. The steel door had lettering that read _"Power Pumping Station B"_ which led him to believe there was another door like it nearby. After exploring a little further, he came across what he'd been looking for, a door with faded lettering that read _"Power Pumping Station A_ " The door was slightly ajar, a brick jammed between it and the frame was keeping it from closing. He approached it carefully, using his flashlight to probe the darkness ahead of him. All he could see was a set of stairs leading down to a lower level, the pane of glass from a second door at the bottom of the stairs reflecting the light back at him. Though he knew the risks he was taking by going in alone, the last thing he wanted was to lose someone else to the Djinn he was hunting. He sucked in a breath as he slipped through the open door and quietly started to make his way down the stairs, his plan simply to have a look and see what he could find below. Broken glass snapped beneath his feet as he approached the second door, his gaze drifting back up to the door still ajar at the top of the stairs.

So far there was no sign of anyone having been down there recently, dust both coated the floor and random debris that had gathered in the stairwell over the years. Inching forward, he passed the second door and stepped into a large open room. It was cold and damp, he could hear water dripping from somewhere and the air was thick and stale. In the center of the room, rusted metal railings surrounded a large pump and turbines shut off long ago. Peering over the edge of the railing with his flashlight he could see water down below, a means of either powering the large pumps or cooling them off. He was studying the various switches, levers and gauges that lined one of the walls when a distant sound from deep within the building caught his attention. He froze, now listening carefully for any other similar sound to discern where it had come from. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was human enough to convince him that he was heading in the right direction. Following the faint sound drifting through the darkness, Sam eyed what looked like an old waste water tunnel rather than a hallway. The large curved walls were made of concrete and steel grates just out of reach above him seemed to lead to the factory floor above. 

* * *

Jo watched as Dean made his way back towards the truck, reaching in through the open window to grab a flashlight from the clutter on the dashboard. "Dean I don't hear anything." She admitted. "Whatever it is you're hearing, it's not real." She continued, her voice rising as Dean tucked the flashlight under his arm. "This is what happens to victims, they start hearing things, seeing things that aren't real."

"Trust me sweat heart, I'm already hearing and seeing things I know aren't real." Dean replied drily as he flipped the silver blade open. "I know what's real and what's not." He continued, pulling his arm away as she reached out to grab him. "Sam's real and that damn creature is real, you're not. " Their eyes locked for only a moment before he turned to make his way towards the factory, wincing as he passed the sharp blade against the palm of his hand to draw blood. "Sammy?!" He called out again, listening for a reply as he made his way towards the factory.

"Dean please." Jo pleaded as she rushed to him with the folders he'd grabbed from her father's desk. "I know this is hard on you but you need to believe me, trust me." She continued as she placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Whatever it is you're hearing, it's not real. This Djin is just playing on your emotions to lure you back in there!"

"I need to find my brother."

"Your brother's dead!" She barked, stepping between him and the door as she shoved the crime scene photos in his face. "He's dead and you're the best shot we have at killing this damn Djin if you don't get yourself killed first!"

Dean felt his heart hit the bottom of his stomach as his eyes focused on the photograph in her hands. Even in the dim light, he could tell that the body lying in a pool of blood was Sam. He'd seen countless crime scene photos and gruesome deaths in his years as a hunter, but none had ever troubled him as much as this one. His mind kept repeating that none of it was real, but he was finding it hard to believe with a picture of his dead brother shoved in his face. Sam was in full police uniform, a flashlight on the ground beside him and dark red stain soaking through the fabric of his shirt. There were multiple gunshot wounds and he could tell that the other man hadn't even had the time to draw his weapon. "It's not real."

"Dean please don't!" Jo pleaded as he shoved her aside and pushed the factory door open. "Dean!" She called out, watching as he disappeared inside.

Though the images of his brother's dead body now flashed in the back of his mind, he knew the photos Jo had shoved in his face weren't real. None of it was. "Sammy?" He called out as he cautiously started to make his way across the factory floor, his sharp blade in one hand and the flashlight in the other. Scanning the darkness for any sign of movement, he listened intently for some kind of reply, any hint of a sound that would lead him to Sam. There wasn't a shred of doubt in his mind that he'd heard his brother calling out to Cas somewhere in the distance, which meant the angel was there somewhere too. "Sammy!?" He shouted, listening as his voice bounced off the walls around him. "Cas?!" He glanced over his shoulder as Jo quickly made her way over to him.

"What the Hell are you doing?" She hissed between clenched teeth. "If you want to kill a damn Djin you can't let it know you're here!"

Dean put a hand out to silence her as the sound of shuffling caught his attention. Glancing over to his left, his eyes instantly focused on the steel grate staircase that led up to the platform above. He couldn't help but feel the hair on the back of his neck stand as he made his way over to the stairs and headed up to the office rooms where he and his brother had been jumped the day before. With Jo following him, Dean instantly headed towards the middle room where the Djin had lured him in and then taken him down. He paused in the doorway, flashbacks of the day before now mixing with what was right there in front of him. "This was where it jumped me." He told the woman standing behind him, well aware she wasn't buying a word he was saying. "Sam shot out the glass to get its attention, that's when it turned on him." He explained, glancing down at the broken glass before looking into the small office room at the overturned furniture.

Parts of the fight played back in his mind as he studied the cluttered room. He remembered hitting the floor hard and he could feel the creature pinning him down with a hand around his throat, right before the bullets started flying and glass shattered. "When I got back to my feet, I came back out to the platform and that's when I saw it fighting with Sam." He continued, turning his attention from the small office room to the platform overlooking the factory floor. I went to stab it and that's when another one of them grabbed me, it took the gun from my belt and pushed me over the edge..." Dean trailed off as the sound of gunshots and breaking glassed echoed in his ears. He walked to the edge of the platform and knelt down by the railing as a dark stain among the dust caught his eye.

"What is it?" Jo asked quietly, her eyes still scanning their surrounding for any sign of the Djin.

"Blood." Dean replied simply as he studied the droplets on the floor. "My blood, from when it shot me."

"Dean, there's nothing there." Jo started, her words and monotone voice forcing the other man to look back up at her. "I know you think it's real, I know you believe that's what really happened but you need to trust me. None of this is real, there's no blood on the floor." She paused for only a moment as Dean got to his feet. "You need to let me help you, this Djin is messing around with you, making you see and hear things that aren't there, that aren't even..." She trailed off as he put a hand up to silence her.

With the sound of engines roaring through the silent night, Dean made his way to one of the windows just in time to see a truck turn off the main road. Other headlights could be seen just beyond the line of trees and moments later a second and third truck joined the first in the old factory's parking lot. Parked next to the truck he'd stolen to get there, a group of six gathered, among them was Bill Harvelle. "How did he know where to find me?" He growled, his eyes narrowing as he turned to the woman at his side. When she didn't offer a reply, he backed her up against the wall. "HOW DID HE KNO..."

"ALL victims who get away end up going back to the place they were attacked!" She cut in, silencing him mid sentence as she pushed him away from her. "I told you this damn thing was just messing with you! It made all this shit you remember up so you'd come back to the place you were attacked. Why do you think my Dad had you in lock down?" She watched as he eyed the hunters that had gathered around her father's truck. "He isn't going to try and save you now." She said bluntly, her tone of voice pulling him away from the men outside. "So you'd better find that damn Djin and kill it, before they come in here looking for you."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

When Castiel opened his eyes, the very first thing he noticed was the water steadily trickling down from a pipe overhead. He studied the pipe for a moment, his gaze drifting down to the boiler it was connected to before focusing on the large puddle nearby. The room he found himself in was small and dark, a single flickering light high above did little to illuminate his surroundings. The fight with the Djin flashed in the back of his mind as he felt the damp air trailing across one of the many cuts on his face. He had no idea where he was or what exactly had happened, one second he was fighting off a group of Djin and the next he was on the factory floor unable to move. Slumped against the cold concrete wall behind him, Castiel tried to straighten out but quickly realized something was wrong. Though he was able to move, it had taken almost everything he had to simply sit up. Something was weighing him down and he felt trapped inside the vessel he'd come to know so well.

"Ive been around for centuries and I've never come across someone, or rather something quite like you." Castiel struggled to look up, his eyes catching those of a Djin as it casually made its way over towards him. The tall man smiled as he knelt down to his level. "You're not human and you're not a demon." The Djin started, studying him carefully. "You're no creature I've ever encountered before, so tell me, what exactly are you?"

There was a moment of silence as Castiel tried to muster the strength he needed to move just an inch or two. What was meant as a punch for the Djin who'd jumped him earlier in the factory, was merely a flick of the wrist that made his hand slide from his lap to the floor. "What did you do to me?" He asked through clenched teeth, struggling against the crushing weight that was keeping him on the floor "Why can't I move?" The Djin let out a chuckle as it reached down to grab Castiel's hand from the floor, turning it over for the angel to see. When his eyes focused on the welt that wrapped around his wrist, the moment he'd fallen victim to the creature suddenly came into sharp focus. He'd been fighting off the Djin to give Sam the chance to get Jodi out of the factory; one of them blocked a punch and grabbed hold of his wrist. The second it got its hand on him, it introduced the first dose of toxin into his system. It was enough to slow him down. He hit the floor moments later when a second hand wrapped around his throat.

"You should have been dead before you hit the floor." The Djin continued, letting Castiel's hand fall back into his lap. "All we did was slow you down, so what are you?" It demanded.

"An angel, I'm an angel." He finally replied, trying to buy himself as much time as he could.

"An angel?" The Djin replied with a chuckle. "What's an angel doing hanging around with a pair hunters?"

"They're my friends." Castiel replied bluntly. "You took one them, we came here to find him when you attacked us and..."

"Who, him?" The Djin interrupted, pointing over towards the left.

Castiel forced himself to glance over and felt his breath catch in the back of his throat when he realized he'd been sitting only a few feet away from Dean. The other man was lying comatose on the floor, the side of his shirt and jacket covered with blood that had soaked through his clothes. Various cuts and bruises marked his face and hands. "Why did you shoot him? If your plan was to poison him so you can feed off him, he's no good to you dead."

The Djin smiled as it caught the angel's eyes. "A bullet seemed to be the only way to slow him down." It started, reaching over to place a hand on the unconscious man's outstretched arm. "The dose just barely slowed him down, so I had to get his heart beating faster to help spread the toxin, it's amazing what the human body responds to, pain and fear trigger all kinds of reactions." The Djin paused for a moment as Castiel's eyes narrowed. "Had I known he'd be such a satisfying meal, I would have been more careful with this one. I can read his thoughts and look into his memories, I can walk around in his head... keep him busy while I twist whatever nightmares I find to get the most out of his emotions."

"Leave him alone." Castiel hissed, swallowing hard as he once again tried in vain to get up.

"A soul as tormented as his is worth savoring." The Djin explained, releasing its grip on the hunter's arm and leaving behind a red welt. "With all the anger, angst, guilt and regret he's harbouring deep inside, I could feed off him for weeks." It continued, turning its attention back to the angel. "You on the other hand, well I can't even get into your head."

Castiel felt his back hit the cement wall behind him as the Djin kneeling in front of him, reached out to wrap a hand around his throat. Though his mind was racing, screaming at him to do something, to fight back, his body refused to move a muscle. The toxin coursing through his veins had taken hold of his human vessel.

"You're no good to me if I can't get what I need from you." The Djin went on, a sinister smile creeping up from the corner of his lips. "So let's see what it takes to kill an angel."

Castiel's heart began to race as the Djin's hand around his throat started heating up. He swallowed hard, his eyes closing as the Djin's began to glow. He could feel another dose of the creature's toxin being introduced into his system and though he did his best to try and fight off the effects, there was nothing he could do. It was a feeling unlike anything he'd ever felt before, his vessel was fading faster than he could heal it from within. When the Djin's free hand wrapped around the pulse point on his wrist, he knew it was only a matter of time before his grace would be affected as well. His mind was in a fog, his heart was pounding like a hammer and he soon found himself struggling to breath. Just as everything started fading away, the grip around his throat loosened. His eyes opened as the Djin suddenly pulled away, putting both hands on the floor behind him to catch his balance. He was short of breath and the look of surprise on his face was hard to miss. "Looks like killing an angel is gonna take much more than you've got." Castiel said, his voice quiet and weak.

"We'll just have to see how long you last when the others get their hands on you." The Djin was quick to reply, pulling himself back up to his feet.

"You mean if they get their hands on me." Castiel corrected, the faintest trace of a smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"I might not be strong enough to kill an angel on my own, but I'm not alone and I know that you're weaker than you were before I put my hands on you. I can feel it." The Djin paused for a moment as he watched Castiel struggle to move once again. "We may not be able to feed off you, but we can and we will kill you. With enough poison, you won't be able to breathe anymore, every single muscle in your body is going to seize, even your heart is going to stop beating. You hunters really kicked a hornet's nest poking around here and you know what they say about strength in numbers."

"You monsters have no idea what you're up against. "Castiel cut in as he caught the Djin's eyes. "The other hunters, they're not going to leave without us."

"They'll be joining you soon enough." The Djin snapped. "And we'll be real careful this time because if these other hunters are as tormented and twisted as this one is inside." It said, gesturing to Dean. "Well now that's a meal worth savouring for weeks, if not months." He paused and turned as another Djin stood in the doorway.

"We've got company." She said simply before disappearing from their sight.

"Make even the slightest of sound, and I will make you watch me slit his throat." The creature growled, its eyes narrowing on the angel slumped against the wall on the floor. "I may not be able to see into your mind but I see it plain as day on your face, this one means something to you."

Castiel watched as the Djin walk away, joining the other three that he knew of. Sam was no doubt back in the building by now, and there was no way to warn him of the Djin that were headed his way. He was the only one left and he had no idea what he was walking into, none of them had been prepared for a group of what was believed to be, solitary creatures. The angel turned his attention back to Dean as the echo of the Djin's footsteps faded down the corridor. They were running out of time. Dean's eyes were shut and his skin looked pale, his forehead was drenched in sweat. The gunshot wound and the loss of blood had weakened him even before the Djin had started feeding off his energy. As if that weren't enough, there had also been the fall from the platform overlooking the factory floor. Broken bones, a concussions, dislocated shoulder... there was no way for the angel to tell what shape the hunter was actually in.

"Dean." Castiel called out softly, knowing his friend was very much awake, trapped somewhere deep in his subconscious. The other man had reached out to him already, and that gave the angel some hope that he'd be able to reach back. "Dean." He called out again, watching as the other man twitched slightly at the sharpness in his voice. "Listen to me Dean." He went on, his stern voice drawing another hint of acknowledgment from the otherwise comatose man lying on the floor. "The Djin's been walking around in there with you. Wherever you are and whatever messed up version of your life you're living right now... it's right there with you, manipulating reality to get the most of you." Castiel paused for a moment as the thought of what Dean might be up against flashed in the back of his mind. If the Djin was indeed twisting the other man's thoughts and memories to keep him busy while it slowly fed off his emotions and negative energy, the possibilities were endless. Dean had more than enough turmoil buried deep in his soul to feed off of for months, if he didn't die of the gunshot wound first. "You need to find it and kill it." The angel continued, struggling to move closer to the other man. "It's probably walking around as someone you know, someone it knows you wouldn't be able to kill." Castiel went on. "Maybe your brother or even me." 

* * *

Sam moved quickly and quietly down the long tunnel, examining each and every room he came across. His flashlight in one hand and the silver blade laced with the blood of a victim in the other, he moved steadily along searching for any sign of the Djin, Dean or Cas. So far all he was coming across were small maintenance rooms with trash strewn about. He paused in his steps and then ducked into one of the small rooms when he heard shuffling down the hall, followed by whispers. He pressed the flashlight against his back to hide the light and did his best to try and make out what was going on. He knew he was outnumbered, but the more he knew the better chance he would have at taking them down. The discussion was quick, he could make out at least two different voices, that of a man and a woman. Moments later, the whispers were gone and their footsteps faded away.

He stepped back out into the long tunnel, knowing for sure of at least two Djin lurking nearby as he continued to meticulously search every room. He wasn't sure what he would find when he did come across Dean and Castiel, but knew that the pair had to be found and that he wouldn't be leaving without them. Passing another opened door, he froze. His gaze instantly drawn to the set of chains anchored to the floor and a pile of clothes in a corner. Whatever had happened wasn't good and with the number of victims missing and others found dead, he knew some must have met their fates in a room like this one. Pushing the images that suddenly flashed across his mind aside, he quickly moved on to the next room, a similar sight making him wonder if he would find Dean and Castiel before it was too late. 

* * *

Dean's mind started to race as he watched the men outside gather to hunt him down. Being wanted dead or alive was nothing new, but he didn't have time to deal with this. With the Djin that had jumped him feeding off him, he knew the clock was ticking. "Call them off." He said simply, watching as Jo turned to leave. "The last thing I need right now is a bunch of hunters in here while I try tracking down that damn Djin."

"What you need is their help." Jo was quick to reply, freezing in her steps as the sound of a gun loading caught her attention.

Dean watched as she turned slightly to catch his eyes. "Call your Dad and tell them to back off." He said sternly. "I don't have time to deal with them."

"Dean, put the gun away. Please let us help you, let them..." She silenced as the man in front of her suddenly looked out towards the darkened factory below. "Now what?"

"Cas." Dean replied simply. Though the familiar voice drifting through the night was faint, there was no doubt in his mind that he had in fact heard it.

Jo shook her head. The man in front of her was getting worse with each passing moment and his grip on reality was quickly slipping away. "What?" She asked, watching as his eyes darted from left to right in search of something.

"It's Cas." He repeated, lowering the gun and listening intently. While he knew the life he was in wasn't real, having the Djin alongside him, manipulating the series of events around him to get what it wanted, had never even crossed his mind. He'd fallen victim to Djin before but the effects this one was having on him was unlike anything he'd previously experienced. Though he was trying hard to convince himself that everything was going to be fine, each piece of information he was given was only adding to his doubts.

"Dean, I don't hear anything." Jo went on, her voice pulling the other man's attention away from whatever it was he claimed to be hearing. "There's no one else here but us, that Djin and the other hunters outside, we need..." She trailed off as he caught her eyes, even in the dim light she knew right away that something in him had changed.

Dean felt his heart crawl up into his throat as Castiel's distant words started sinking in. "If Sam's already dead..." He started quietly, tucking the gun away and pulling out his silver blade instead. "Then that makes you the only other person I know."


	9. Chapter 9

Jo eyed the blade in his tight grip and watched as he took a step forward. "Dean please, I don't know what you're talking about. Let us help you, once we kill this Djin everything will go back to the way it was." She paused for only a moment as she took a step back and he took another one forward. "You'll get your memories back, you won't hear and see things that aren't there anymore. We can still save you, but you need to let us."

"Clever." He went on, trying to separate the memories of the woman he once knew, from the stranger standing there in front of him. "You knew family was everything to me, the second you put your hands on me and dug into my memories, you knew messing with my family and killing Sam off would dredge up all kinds of nasty shit."

"Dean, please!" She pleaded, her shaky voice echoing in the quiet building. "I have no clue what you're talking about or who you're hearing. There's no one else in here but us." She continued as she took yet another step back.

"The victims that get away don't truly get away, do they?" He growled, his grip on the blade tightening. "Because all the emotions you dig up, eventually lead them to suicide. You get them worked up to that point they can't deal anymore and once you push them over the top, once you drain them of everything they have worth fighting for... they die and then you just move on to the next one."

"None of this is real." Jo repeated, knowing all too well that she wouldn't be able to convince him otherwise. Now that he'd gone back to the place where he'd been attacked, it was already too late and he was far too gone. "The voices you're hearing in your head, the memories you swear are real, the..." She silence and turned away as the crack of a gunshot tore through the night and the window to her right suddenly shattered. Even though she'd been anticipating it, it still made her jump. The moment the other man hit the ground, she reached down to grab the gun from the back of his belt and raced for the stairs.

With his focus on the woman in front of him, Dean didn't realize he'd step into view until the window next to them had disintegrated. A fraction of a second later and he was on the floor among the broken glass, a stabbing pain radiating from his left side. It had been a simple mistake but that moment of inattention had just cost him a lot. If Jo was indeed the Djin Castiel had warned him about, then the chance to kill it and break free from its hold, had just slipped through his fingers. He listened as her footsteps echoed down the stairs and raced across the factory, knowing it was now only a matter of time before the other hunters moved in.

Dean swore to himself as he carefully sat up and leaned against the wall behind him, the shards of broken glass digging into his skin the least of his worries at the moment. His eyes closed as his breath caught in the back of throat and a sudden sharp pain tore straight across his chest. For a moment, he could have sworn he'd been hit by a truck, the pressure of impact preventing him from drawing in a full breath. His hand instinctively reached for his chest as the deep breath he took turned into a short, almost desperate gasp for air. "Son of a bitch." He hissed, doing what he could to deal with the pain that had suddenly taken hold of him. He swallowed hard, his shaky hand moving from his chest to his side. Blood was already soaking through his clothes and although his ribs hurt as he applied pressure to stop the bleeding, that wasn't what had him worried. The shot had punctured a lung, leaving him short of breath and in much worse shape than his encounter with the Djin had in the first place.

He was trying hard to stay calm but his heart was pounding like a hammer, and his mind was racing. The group of hunters were about to move in on him, the Djin was still on the loose and he was in no condition to fight. Gritting his teeth and steeling himself against the pain, he forced himself to his knees and turned to glance out the window. The hunters were no longer standing by their vehicles, which meant they were already making their way to find him. Even with that chilling realization sinking in, he couldn't help but let the smile creep up from the corner of his lips, as he caught a glimpse of Jo and Ellen making their way to a truck at the far end of the lot. He knew it was nothing more than a memory pulled up from his subconscious and twisted by a Djin, but seeing Ellen with her arm wrapped around Jo was almost enough to make him forget what was going on around him.

"Alright you son of a bitch." Came a voice from the darkened factory floor. "I tried helping you, tried to keep you safe until this hunt was over, but you don't mess with my family."

Dean froze as Bill's voice resonated in the large building, cutting him right to the core. He turned from the window, wincing in pain as he felt his chest tighten and the breath catch in his throat. With a hand still pressed up to the bullet wound in his side, he got to his feet and leaned heavily against the wall behind him. He could now hear their footsteps echo and see the quick flash of their lights break through the darkness like spotlights on the factory floor.

"I know you're in here and we're not leaving until you're dead." Bill went on, eyeing the old machinery in front of him. "You'd better pray that damn Djin gets to you before I do."

* * *

Sam moved along at a steady pace, eliminating one room after another as he made his way down the long dark hall. He'd barely caught a glimpse of Castiel and Dean on the floor of a small room, when he was pulled into an adjacent doorway and press up against the wall. His flashlight hit the ground at his feet and his grip on the blade in his hand tightened. Instinct kicked in and he was quick to overpower the Djin that had attacked him, stabbing it with the silver blade and dropping it to the floor before it could administer a dose of its powerful toxin. He reached down to grab the flashlight and had barely straightened out when a second attacked, this one dodging the blade and delivering a kick that sent the young hunter to the floor.

Swearing under his breath he was back on his feet in an instant, lashing out with his blade at the creature that had caught him off guard. He took a punch to the face and another to the gut before finally being able to plunge the silver blade into its chest. Pulling his blade free, he watched as the Djin fell dead to the floor at his feet. He was still trying to catch his breath and calm his racing heart when a hand reached out from behind and wrapped around his throat.

Before he could react, his arm was pulled and twisted behind his back, the silver blade pinned between him and the creature that had come out of nowhere. Sam knew he had to act fast, but the more he struggled to free himself, the tighter the grip around his throat became. So he took a sudden step back, forcing the Djin to do the same and then elbowed the creature in the gut. The grip around his throat loosened as the Djin stumbled back, giving Sam the chance he needed to free his pinned arm. The moment he was free, he spun around and took a swing with the sharp blade still tucked in his tight grip. He came within inches of the creature but didn't land a blow as it backed out of reach and then quickly moved up on him, kicking a leg out from under him. Sam fell to his knees as the Djin snuck around him and headed out the door. "Damn it." He muttered under his breath, picking himself up and giving chase down the tunnel after it.

He didn't make it far when he passed the open door where he'd first caught a glimpse of Dean and Castiel. He froze in his steps, his heart jumping to his throat as his attention turned from the Djin, to his older brother. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he entered the small dark room, the creature's footsteps quickly fading away. Dean lay motionless on the floor, a puddle of blood nearby, while Castiel was slumped against the wall beside him. "Cas, Dean..." He started as he quickly made his way over, his eyes catching those of the angel for only a moment, before Castiel's gaze fell to the man on the floor next to him. Dean's face was cut and bruised; his clothes were soaked with blood.

"He's gone." Castiel replied simply, his coarse voice just barely above a whisper.

The words passed right through him as Sam knelt down next to his older brother, a shaky hand reaching out to place a finger against the side of the other man's throat. He swallowed hard as he searched for a pulse he knew he wouldn't be able to find. "Cas what happened." He asked, pulling away as the tears threatened to fall.

"I couldn't heal him, there was nothing I could do to save him." The angel quietly started, watching as Sam took a seat on the floor next to the other man. "There's more than one Djin down here and their toxin is more than I can handle. It's taking everything I have just to keep myself..." Castiel trailed off as the young hunter reached for his silver blade.

"How long do you think we have before that damn mark on his arm makes of demon out of him?" Sam asked bluntly, glancing up at the angel. "How long before he wakes up with black eyes?" There was a moment of silence as his gaze drifted down to Dean on the floor next to him. "I can't watch that happen to him again. I just can't." He continued, his grip on the blade tightening as the memories came flooding back. "The demon he becomes, his dark side... it's everything he's ever fought so hard not to be or to let me become."

"Sam we fixed things the last time it happened, we'll fix them again." Castiel started, his voice doing little to get the other man's attention. "Sam you listen to me." He continued, his voice rising as he watched the hunter turn the blade in his hand, studying it carefully before pulling the sleeve of his coat up "Sam!" Castiel shouted as the young hunter turn his wrist over and shut his eyes. "SAM!"

Sam's eyes flew open as he felt the needle pull free from his arm. It took a moment for his eyes to focus, but once they did, he was surprised to see Jody kneeling on the floor beside him.

"Sam!" She repeated, her voice suddenly pulling him back to reality. "Damn it kid, I thought I'd lost you." She said, tossing the empty syringe aside. "How you feeling?" She asked, watching as he sat up and glanced around, the confusion clearly visible on his face.

"Jody? What happened?" He asked, eyeing the dead Djin scattered on the floor around them.

"You tell me." She was quick to reply. "I got attacked, went on one hell of a bad trip, woke up in my truck and then came back in looking for you and Cas."

"They got to Cas while I took you outside." Sam started as he caught her eyes. "Jody, I gave you two doses of that antidote before leaving you in your truck. These Djin, their toxin is powerful stuff, I wasn't even sure you'd snap out of it when I left you there."

"Well, lucky for you I did." Jody replied with a crooked smile as she helped him to his feet. "I dropped two more of them on the way down here, so that makes five of them so far." She said, watching as the young hunter once again took a glance at the small room around them and at the bodies strewn across the floor. "Everything alright, Sam?"

"It happened so fast; all it did was put its hand around my throat and what was real and what wasn't just blended together." He swallowed hard, the sight of Dean dead on the floor flashing in the back of his mind. He knew it hadn't been real, but the emotionally loaded punch it packed still had his stomach twisted in knots. "We need to find Dean." He started, pushing the distressing images aside. "Right before I was attacked, I saw him and Cas in one of the rooms across the hall..."

* * *

Dean knew it was only a matter of time before the other hunters would find him and he was in no condition to fight. He could actually feel himself weakening both mentally and physically. It was a feeling of dread and despair in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't ignore, one that only seem to be growing with each passing second. With nowhere to go as the sound of footsteps started coming up the steel grate stair, he made his way to the small office room where it had all begun. He stumbled through the darkness and slid down an overturned desk to the floor, knowing he was trapped but unable to do anything about it.

He sucked in a ragged breath as he pulled the silver blade from his pocket, flipping it open as the beam of a flashlight bounced off the wall in front of him. Fear, panic and desperation set in all at once and his grip on the blade tightened. He'd been through this before and wondered if taking his own life would be enough to break him away from the Djin's tight grip. He knew the creature was feeding off his emotions, but he couldn't bring himself to calm down when it felt like the walls were closing in around him."None of this is real." He whispered to himself, his eyes closing. "It's not real."

"Yes, it is." Came a chilling reply.

Everything that followed happened in the blink of an eye. He heard the deafening sound of Bill's gun fire as he felt the blade of his own knife sink into his flesh, and Castiel's hand fall down upon his shoulder.


	10. Conclusion

Deans eyes flew open as Castiel's hand landed hard on his shoulder, the angel's grip sending a jolt of both pain and reality down to his core.

"Are you alright?" The angel asked bluntly, his grace finally starting to overcome the last dose of toxin the Djin had given him. "Dean, are you alright?" He asked again, looking up as Sam and Jody came rushing into the small room.

"I've been better." He groaned, swearing under his breath as he tried to pull himself up into a sitting position.

"Easy, easy." Sam urged as he raced over and knelt down to help his older brother sit up.

"Hey Sammy." Dean whispered, closing his eyes for a moment as he leaned heavily against the wall behind him. "I've been looking everywhere for you, where the hell have you been?"

Sam couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle as he pulled a syringe of antidote from his pocket. "I could ask you the same thing." He started, reaching over for his older brother's arm.

Dean winced as he felt the prick of the needle pierce his skin. With the last few moments still flashing in the back of his head, he could still hear the sound of gunshots and feel the sharp blade in his tight grip. He knew none if it had happened but right up until the angel's hand had fallen on his shoulder, it had all felt so intense and real. "It wasn't just a regular Djin." He started, glancing over to catch Jody's eyes.

"Yeah, we figured that out." Sam was quick to reply, tossing the empty syringe aside. "Let me take a quick look at you."

"It was a rare one, a powerful Djin that creates chaos and then feeds off the resulting energy." Castiel explained as Jody searched his arm for a vein. "When it lay its hands on me, it paralyzed me; I couldn't fight back, I couldn't even move."

"I've dealt with some pretty messed up shit before but this, this was seriously messed up." Dean started, sucking in a quick breath as Sam lifted the bottom corner of his shirt to take a look at the bullet wound in his side. "The series of events this thing created, the memories it reached into then altered... it was so real and so simple that it was believable. I mean this thing focused on one thing and then it just snowballed from there and shit just got worse and worse."

"I wish I would have known this wasn't just a run-of-the mill Djin before I handed you guys the case." Jody admitted, watching as Sam examined a deep cut on his brother's cheek. "I'm so sorry you went through this"

"This isn't your fault Jody." Dean replied quietly, catching her eyes for a moment before she turned her attention back to the angel in front of her.

"Well you're not too worse for wear considering you were shot and then shoved off a second story platform." Sam said.

"Neither are you." Dean remarked quietly, wincing as he straightened out. "I heard you get shoved out that window."

"Yeah, well Cas helped me get over that."

"Here, maybe I can help alleviate some of your pain." Castiel started as he turned towards the other man, pausing as Dean put a hand up towards him.

"I know that Djin's toxin took its toll on you too." Dean started as he caught the angel's eyes. "Never mind healing me, you just focus on getting your strength back in case we run into more of these things on our way out of here. I'll live, I just need some time."

"C'mon, the sooner we get you out of here, the better." Sam said as he reached down for his brother as Jody gave Castiel a hand up. "Ready? This is probably going to hurt alot." He warned, carefully pulling the injured man up to his feet. Dean swore under his breath as Sam wrapped an arm around his waist to hold him up. "Are you good?" Though he got a nod in response, he knew Dean was fighting back the pain.

"Alrigh, it's this way back towards the stairs." Jody said, still clutching her blade as she led the way. With Castiel following closely, keeping one eye on the woman in front of him and the other on the men behind him, the small group slowly started to make their way back through the maze of tunnels to the pumping station that would bring them up to the factory overhead.

"So what exactly happened to you Dean?" Sam asked, curious to know just what his older brother had faced but almost afraid at the same time to find out. "What happened after it shot and shoved you over the edge?"

"I woke up locked in a basement cell." Dean started, sucking in a sharp breath as he stumbled in his steps and Sam tightened the grip around his waist to catch his balance. "A hunter working a case pretty much the same as ours had picked me up, said I had a run-in with a Djin he'd been tracking. I tried to convince him that I was a hunter but he kept telling me that all these things I remembered or thought I knew, weren't real and that I was losing my mind.

"So this Djin created a reality where you were the victim, and had another hunter pick you up?" Jody asked as she glanced over her shoulder at the pair.

"Like I said, this son of a bitch was smart." Dean replied, cringing as Sam adjusted the arm around his waist. "It wasn't just any hunter either, it was Bill Harvelle."

"Bill Harvelle? As in the Harvelle Roadhouse?" Sam asked, quick with the next question as Dean gave him a nod. "Where Ellen and Jo there?"

"Yeah, but they weren't hunters like we knew them." Dean replied, eyeing the large pumps that towered over them. "With Bill still around, they never got into the life."

"Where was Sam in all of this?" Castiel asked as he held the large door open for the pair. "I mean if this thing was creating negative energy to feed off of, Sam must surely have been a trigger."

Dean swore under his breath as they started up the stairs. Even with his younger brother's help, every step he took was painful. "Sam was already dead, that was the case Bill had been working when he picked me up." He replied, eying the top of the stairwell where Jody was waiting.

Reaching ground level, the group took a moment to study the dark factory ahead of them. Though there was no sign of movement among the idle machinery that littered the floor, they were still keeping a watchful eye for any more Djin that could be lurking in the darkness. They quickly made their way back towards the entrance, finally breathing a sigh of relief when they stepped out into the night.

"You guys go on and head out, I'm going to call this in and have dispatch send out another officer to keep an eye on the place." Jody said as they reached her truck and Impala. "I'll give the coroner a call in the morning."

"Are you sure?" Sam was quick to reply, leaning Dean against the Impala as he turned to face the woman "What are you going to call this in as?"

"I was going to go with family Cult." Jody replied, watching as Dean hunched over the trunk of the car and pointed out to Castiel which coat pocket his car keys were in. "You just make sure he gets taken care of." She continued as she reached up to Sam for a hug. "You need anything, anything at all, just give me a call."

"Will do." Sam replied, returning the hug. As Jody climbed behind the wheel of her truck, Castiel helped Dean into the backseat of the Impala and shut the door. "How are you holding up Cas?" He asked as the angel passed him the keys.

"I'll be fine." Castiel replied simply, glancing down through the window at the man curled up in the backseat. "But your brother's condition worries me." He said, making his way around the car to the passenger's side. "He struggles to keep the effects of the Mark of Cain at bay on a good day."

"I know." Sam admitted as he caught the angel's eyes, pausing for a moment before pulling his door open and climbing in behind the wheel. He leaned back to have a look at his brother as Castiel climbed into the passenger seat. Dean was curled up on the seat with both arms wrapped tightly around his ribs; his eyes were shut but the pain he was in was clearly visible on his face. "You still good? I don't want you drifting off to sleep when you might have a concussion."

"I'm just aces." Dean muttered, pulling one arm away from his midsection just long enough to give his younger brother a thumbs up. "Never been better."

"Yeah, I can tell." Sam replied as he turned in his seat and slid the key into the ignition. "Just hang in there." He said, pulling away from the old factory and turning back onto the main road. He glanced up into the rear view mirror as Dean pulled himself up into a slouched, sitting position. "You said the Djin altered a memory and twisted it into something so simple it was believable." Sam started, trying to keep his brother alert and conscious as they headed back towards the small town of Scythe. "We've been through so much, what exactly did it focus in on?"

"The night Mom died." Dean quietly replied, his eyes closing for a moment as the files he'd read flashed in the back of his head. "It went back to the night mom died and changed the outcome of the investigation that followed. The whole thing was messed up; Dad got sentenced to life for setting the fire they said killed her and we ended up shuffled through the foster care system until they split us up. You turned out alright, you were a cop but I never amounted to much of anything. We weren't hunters and we weren't really brothers anymore either." He paused as the words started to catch in the back of his throat. The life had been thrown into had been a nightmare compared to what he and his brother had faced growing up. "The only good thing about any of it, was that the Mark of Cain was gone. That entire chapter of my life never happened."

"Yeah along with many others." Sam was quick to point out, glancing up into the rear view mirror again to catch his older brother's eyes.

"I never went to Hell, Sammy." Dean started, his voice breaking up as he spoke. "I never tortured souls, never broke the first seal that jump started the Apocalypse, I never went to Purgatory, never..."

"You can't just focus on the negative things." Sam cut in, silencing the other man. "Our lives aren't perfect but you've saved a lot of people, Dean."

"It felt different without the Mark." Dean said, sucking in a painful breath as he tried to make himself comfortable. "I felt like myself again, and I was starting to forget what that felt like..."

"Don't worry about the Mark of Cain, we'll find a way to get rid of it." Sam said, his grip on the wheel tightening slightly. "We've faced all sorts of shit and this is no different, we'll find a way to deal with it. Just like we always do."

Dean couldn't help but let the smile creep up from the corner of his lips as he caught his brother's eyes in the rear view mirror. "That sounds like the kind of lie I tell you, when the truth is we're barely hanging on by a thread." He swallowed hard, finally truly admitting to himself that he couldn't see a way out of the situation he was in. "We have no clue how to deal with this thing."

"Sam is right." Castiel started, turning slightly to look at the man slouched in the back seat of the Impala. "You and your brother have faced worse and you've always managed to pull through one way or another. We won't stop looking for a way to rid you of the Mark; this burden isn't yours to carry alone."

Thanks for reading!  
-Shugs


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